MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: CEB, EU Expand Roma Housing Microfinance, Financial Inclusion Program to Bulgaria

The multilateral Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB) and two EU institutions, the European Parliament and the European Commission, recently launched the Housing and Empowerment for Roma (HERO) program in Bulgaria. As part of the program, Tokuda Bank, which is based in the Bulgarian city of Sofia, will provide 200 members of the Roma community with microloans totaling EUR 490,000 (USD 550,000) as well as financial literacy training. The purpose of the loans is to

MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: Tanzania Mortgage Refinance Company (TMRC), Habitat for Humanity Partner to Bolster Housing Microfinance 

The Tanzania Mortgage Refinance Company (TMRC) recently signed a memorandum of understanding with US-based NGO Habitat for Humanity International to “support lower-income Tanzanians and those working in the informal sector to more easily purchase, build or upgrade their homes.” With technical assistance from Habitat for Humanity, TMRC will perform a market study and design housing microfinance products that