Regulatory Alerts2015-09-07
Circular Letter - Housing Loans
The Central Bank of Haiti issued Circular Letter #06 to facilitate post-earthquake reconstruction by reducing the cost of housing credit. The directive exempts all Gouda resources used for qualifying residential and mixed-use housing loans from mandatory reserve requirements and raises the sectoral credit concentration limit to 50%. This exemption applies to loans originated after August 1, 2010, as well as healthy pre-earthquake loans restructured after January 12, 2010.
SAS 11-08-10
Central Bank of Haiti The Governor
CIRCULAR LETTER # 06
CIRCULAR LETTER TO COMMERCIAL BANKS AND SAVINGS AND HOUSING BANKS
Considering that the earthquake of January 12, 2010, destroyed a large number of buildings in the metropolitan area, thereby worsening the housing problem in the country in general and in the metropolitan area in particular;
Considering that according to Article 2 of the Law of August 17, 1979, the BRH's purpose is to promote, in the fields of currency, credit, and exchange, the most favorable conditions for the development of the national economy;
The Central Bank of Haiti (BRH), in its desire to contribute to the reconstruction of the country by reducing the cost of housing credit, hereby authorizes banking institutions not to set up mandatory reserves on Gouda resources captured and used to grant:
a. housing loans defined as all loans and advances granted by a banking institution for the acquisition, construction, repair, or improvement of residential real estate. They include the following residential real estate properties: single-family residences, multi-unit housing of any type, multi-purpose buildings where more than half of the area serves residential housing, and land intended for residential construction meeting internationally accepted seismic standards.
b. loans for the acquisition, construction, repair, or improvement of residential, commercial, and industrial buildings.
All Gouda resources used, from August 1, 2010, for the granting of housing loans in Gouda as defined in paragraphs a and b above, are exempt from the calculation of mandatory reserves.
This exemption extends to healthy housing loans before January 12 and restructured after this date.
Furthermore, the sectoral ceiling of 25% provided for in Circular 83-4 on credit concentration can now reach up to 50% for housing loans.
Port-au-Prince, July 30, 2010
(Signature) Charles Castel
P.O. BOX 1570, Port-au-Prince, Haiti . Telephone: 2940-2009/ 2998-2024/ 2998-2025