Lebanon's draft 2027 budget sets aside $60 million for the Public Corporation for Housing, with the goal of reopening housing loans next year. For a country where most people have had no realistic way to borrow for a home since the 2019 financial collapse, that is the first concrete number attached to the idea in years.
$100,000 Loans, Issued and Repaid in Dollars
According to the corporation's director-general, Rony Lahoud, individual loans could reach up to $100,000. The proposed interest rate is 3.5%.
The loans would be issued and repaid in US dollars. That detail matters. Before the crisis, many housing loans were taken in Lebanese pounds, and the currency's collapse wiped out their real value. A dollar-based scheme protects the lender, but it also means borrowers will need a steady dollar income to keep up with payments.
First-Time Owners Only
The program, as currently proposed, is aimed at applicants who meet income criteria. Two groups would be excluded outright:
People who have already received a loan from the corporation in the past would not qualify. Neither would anyone who already owns a home, either in their own name or through their spouse.
In practice, that points the money toward young families and first-time buyers, the group hit hardest by the disappearance of mortgage lending over the past seven years.
How Far $60 Million Goes
Simple math shows the limits. If every borrower took the maximum $100,000, the allocation would fund about 600 loans. Smaller average loans would stretch that number, but demand is likely to be far higher than supply.
Before 2019, subsidized housing loans were one of the main ways middle-income Lebanese families bought property. When the banking sector froze, that channel shut down almost completely, leaving cash buyers and diaspora money to drive the market.
Still a Draft, Not a Done Deal
The $60 million remains a line in the draft 2027 budget. It still has to pass through the legislative process, including a vote in Parliament, before any loans can be issued. Final terms, including the rate, the ceiling, and the eligibility rules, could change along the way.
Housing loans have been discussed in Lebanon many times since the crisis without much to show for it. What is different this time is a specific proposed allocation, a named rate, and a loan ceiling, all tied to next year's budget.
