Banks to offer loans for under-construction housing units

KARACHI: To facilitate buyers of under-construction housing units in obtaining housing finance, the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) issued Thursday a set of guidelines for banks and development financial institutions (DFIs) to enable them to extend loans for under construction projects.

Currently, the central bank said commercial banks are reluctant to provide financing for this purpose. The SBP’s new guidelines provide a complete framework with necessary risk mitigation elements for the banking industry to support this area of housing financing, it added.

Essentially, the financing risk of banks will be secured through mortgage of project land based on specific arrangements with builders, the SBP said, adding payments to builders will be routed through a specially created account (known as an escrow account) with no direct access to the seller until completion of construction milestones as agreed between financing banks and builders.

“The purchasers of housing units availing housing finance will be able to enjoy a number of benefits,” it said.

“First, the purchasers will get the housing units in under construction projects which are relatively low-cost compared to fully constructed units. Second, the strong monitoring and oversight by the banks will facilitate timely completion and transfer of possession to the purchasers. Third, housing units are new; the purchasers may bear lower maintenance and renovation costs for the initial few years.”

The SBP pointed out these benefits are expected to create incentives for buying under construction houses thereby creating demand for the construction industry. Banks are reluctant to offer finance for purchase of housing units in under construction projects, as compared to completed projects.

“The prevalent market practices is that builders allow the purchasers of housing units to make periodic payments when construction begins against allotment letters which is a convenient process in enabling home ownership,” the central bank said.

“However, banks do not provide housing finance against allotment letters. As a result, buyers are deprived of the opportunity of availing housing finance from banks and hence owning affordable housing units in the under construction phase of projects.

In addition, builders also complain that non-availability of housing finance from banks for the under construction projects reduces demand and slows development of new projects.”

“The SBP guidelines are a major step forward and are in line with State Bank’s ongoing efforts to spur economic development through promotion of activity in housing and construction sectors,” it said.

“It is expected that housing finance of banks will see a significant growth in the near future. Apart from providing an opportunity to the borrowers to avail housing finance under ‘Mera Pakistan Mera Ghar’ in under construction projects, this will also help builders to enhance stock of new apartments/flats across the country.”