The WAEMU space is facing a deficit of decent housing of roughly 3.5 million units. An additional 250,000 houses would have to be built each year to address the combined impact of rapid urbanization and population growth. The $155 million regional WAEMU Affordable Housing Finance Project financed by the World Bank through the International Development Association (IDA) has enabled 12,000 persons to become homeowners. It also enabled WAEMU¡¯s regional mortgage refinancing company (CRRH-UEMOA) to promote access to affordable housing in the subregion. Furthermore, it also allowed CRRH-UEMOA to raise $385 million in additional financing through regional and international bond issues. This has attracted new investors and is contributing to the development of the regional capital market thanks to the long duration of the bonds.