The Habitat Bank granted approximately 1,300 loans for close to $90 million in early October 2026, according to its president Antoine Habib. This review, presented in a press interview published on 7 November, accompanies a call to expand funding and build a national housing policy. It describes the credit activity of the institution, without constituting a measure of the overall residential needs of the country.
Habib also advocates a tax on vacant housing, some of which could support housing. This proposal requires a legislative decision and a financial mechanism. It does not correspond to a new levy already adopted.
Habitat Bank: two reviews at different dates
The balance sheet at the beginning of October followed that of July 2, 2026. At that time, the institution reported 1,059 credits for $74 million. This first series included 980 acquisition loans, 49 for construction and 30 for renovation.
Both surveys cover different moments. They must not be added together to form a total activity. The more recent balance sheet now places loans around 1,300, but does not include the same breakdown by use.
The officer also mentions about 45,000 visits to the institution’s electronic platform. This figure describes attendance. It does not represent 45,000 borrowers or as many applications accepted.
The announced ceilings are $100,000 for purchase or construction and $50,000 for renovation.
In a statement of 7 November, the Habitat Bank announced the launch on Monday 9 November 2026 of a product for financing prefabricated houses. The institution specifies that it will publish the eligibility conditions and the procedures for filing applications at a later date. The ceilings of its other programmes must not be assimilated to the conditions of this new product.
Arab funding structures the programme
The Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development provides a total of 50 million Kuwaiti dinars, presented as approximately $165 million. This envelope constitutes the general financial framework referred to by Habib.
Within this total, the leader quotes $114 million in transfers and a sixth tranche of $25 million. The formulations of the interview do not make it possible to establish with certainty the date of receipt of this tranche: the amount of 114 million appears both as a total transferred and as the one to which the operation would lead.
The 25 million must therefore not be added to the 114 million and then to the 165 million envelope. These are different levels of funding. The amount actually credited on a given date must be confirmed by the institution.
Habib indicated that it would continue to seek additional resources. His visit to Kuwait focused on existing cooperation and housing finance programmes. It wishes to allocate these resources to the continuation of the loans, in compliance with the Bank’s eligibility criteria.
Loans subject to repayment capacity
The institution presents its programs as accessible to Lebanese from different regions as well as eligible expatriates. Habib cites low- and middle-income households and persons with disabilities among the target audiences.
This orientation does not mean automatic attribution. The bank maintains its criteria and links the development of programmes to the resources available. Its president stressed the need to propose financing compatible with the income and real cost of housing.
The problem thus exceeds the only ceiling of a loan. A higher amount may expand the choice of a property, but it also increases the amount to be reimbursed. Habib requires stable and long-term resources, as well as adjustment of rates, maturities and products to the situation of households.
Mobilizing vacant housing
The President of the Habitat Bank supports a tax designed according to criteria which he wishes to be clear and fair. It sets two objectives: to encourage the use of unoccupied property and to provide a resource for housing programmes.
In another speech on the right to housing, he mentioned 7,000 empty apartments in Beirut. This figure remains an estimate which it makes, without an inventory published in the items consulted. It does not make it possible to calculate the revenue of any levy on its own.
Habib proposes to allocate a share of resources to support the appropriations. They could reduce the cost of financing or help some households raise a contribution. It calls for a framework to ensure transparency in the collection and use of funds.
It also advocates the creation of a Ministry of Housing to coordinate public action. This institutional proposal is in addition to discussions on leasing and financing programmes. Implementation still requires decisions, while the bank must specify the receipt of funds for its current loans.
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