• Tunisia plans to build 5,000 social housing units by 2030 at an estimated cost of 750 million dinars ($259.2 million).

• The first phase includes 1,213 units across 11 governorates starting in 2026, under the 2026–2030 Development Plan.

• The project comes as Tunisia faces tight financing conditions, with public debt projected at 84.9% of GDP in 2025, according to the World Bank.

The Tunisian government announced plans to build about 5,000 housing units at an estimated cost of 750 million dinars, equivalent to $259.2 million. Authorities disclosed the plan following a restricted cabinet meeting held on Tuesday, January 13, 2026, focused on the country’s social policy.

The first phase, which will start this year, includes the construction of 1,213 housing units across 11 governorates. The government aligned the project with the 2026–2030 Development Plan. However, officials did not disclose details on financing mechanisms.

Meanwhile, Tunisia has faced growing economic difficulties in recent years, largely due to limited access to external financing. The country has lacked a new agreement with the International Monetary Fund since talks froze in 2023. As a result, Tunisia has increasingly relied on domestic borrowing to balance public finances. Domestic debt accounted for 77% of total public debt in 2024, according to the World Bank, which projects public debt to reach 84.9% of gross domestic product in 2025.

The government roadmap for the project plans to transfer housing units “under rent-to-own schemes or sales with facilitated payment terms,” according to the official statement. The government added that it also plans to develop social housing plots and provide housing at prices that reflect the purchasing power of a broad segment of citizens.

Through this initiative, the Tunisian government aims to “guarantee the constitutional right to decent housing, control rent increases, and entrench the concept of the social role of the state.” The announcement comes as Tunisia’s real estate market faces turbulence driven by restricted access to housing finance, declining purchasing power, and rising housing prices.

Authorities also said they will set up a digital platform to register applications from individuals seeking to acquire the housing units.

This article was initially published in French by Lydie Mobio

Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum