1. EGYPT
HOUSING FOR ALL
Background & oBjectives
• Housing Model: Home In Egypt there are an estimated 20 million homes in need of significant
Improvement & New Homes upgrade. Although nearly 95% of Egypt’s population falls within the low to
middle income bracket (earning less than US$40 a month), the conventional
• director: Iman Bibars housing market does not cater to this majority. Housing For All (HFA) Egypt,
(Interim HFA Director) known locally as “El Dawar” plans to capitalize on existing resources, expertise
and networks to provide affordable housing materials, access to credit, and
• Program Launch: 2010 technical assistance to those in need of safe, sustainable and environmentally
sound homes.
• number of Partners:
- Citizen Sector: 4
- Business Sector: 2 core activities
HFA Egypt design is based on the understanding that housing troubles are
about more than just homes. HFA Egypt will catalyze community development
and foster unprecedented homeownership that translates into healthier
and self-sufficient livelihoods. HFA Egypt partners with local communities,
universities, the business sector and the government to implement affordable
homes through special centers that connect existing microfinance institutions
HOUSING FOR ALL
closely associated with four Ashoka Middle East Fellows. Its business plan
includes core activities such as providing construction materials, financial access
and technical assistance through project partners.
Over the next 5 years HFA centers will be consolidating to form an advocacy-
anchored cooperative that will expand the program beyond the current region.
It will be launched during the last quarter of 2010 and is on track to build 18,355
housing units until 2015.

2. EGYPT
saMeH seif, Ashoka Fellow and founder of The Together Project has been
working in the Beni Suef and Kafr Gaafar areas of Egypt for several years- where
30% of the population living in Kafr Gaafar is a Christian minority. In one of the
early pilot home reconstruction phases, a Christian family was hosted by a Muslim
family while everyone worked to remodel the Christian family’s home. In Egypt,
where religious tensions between Christian and Muslim populations have been
historically tense, this project fostered a sense of community despite differences—
an additional benefit to the community impact of HFA programs.
By consulting with
community members ASHOKA’S MAIN PARTNERS AND THEIR
about the project, both ROLE IN THE HOUSING FOR ALL HYBRID
male and female, we
are able to generate a VALUE CHAIN APPLICATION
sense of ownership and
enhance local pride” Hybrid Value Chain (HVC) is a new operating framework for transforming
markets by leveraging the strengths of business and social actors. HVC spread
sameh seif, ASHOKA across the economic spectrum and represent a systemic change in the way
Fellow, The Together business and citizen sector interact.
Foundation
IMPACT
3 international
organizations including
United Nations Habitat,
Habitat International and
Citibank have all expressed
interest in the HFA credit Business sector citiZen sector
scheme • Delta Nile company aggregators,
• Swisfarma for tiles complementary
2 universities (Minia services & access
University & Cairo University) enablers
tecHnicaL assistance • Together
HOUSING FOR ALL
and 2 companies have
officially signed to be HFA • Minia University • TheDevelopment
Association for
project partners • Cairo University the
and Enhancement of
Women
A Memorandum of • Kenouz Sainai
Understanding was signed • Better Life Association
for Comprehensive
among community leaders
Development
and project partners
demonstrating community
buy-in
fec.ashoka.org