Almost a quarter of the world’s population lives in a substandard shelter, affecting their health, livelihoods, and children’s education. Since 1976, Habitat for Humanity has helped more than 62 million people improve their shelter conditions. Yet, Habitat’s construction efforts alone cannot keep pace with the massive and growing need. No response by governments or private philanthropy alone can meet the shelter needs of 1.6 billion people. Lack of adequate housing and limited access to affordable finance affect women asymmetrically,

Studies have shown that access to adequate housing positively impacts economic development. Beyond providing shelter, having a home lead to better outcomes for families in health, education, income, and standard of living. Housing is a driver, catalyst, and contributor to 13 of the 17 SDGs.

Habitat for Humanity established the Terwilliger Centre for Innovation in Shelter (TCIS) to work with housing market systems. TCIS supports local firms in expanding innovative and client-responsive services, products, and financing, enabling households to improve their shelter more effectively and efficiently, thereby impacting the overall quality of their lives.

One of our core initiatives is to help local financial institutions develop client-centric housing finance solutions for low-income households who otherwise lack access to such products from commercial banking institutions.

Objective
TCIS provided technical advisory to two (2) microfinance institutions in India and one (1) microfinance institution in Nepal to develop housing microfinance loan products of different types to low-income households in the last two years. A total of over 1,200 loans were disbursed to women clients under these new housing finance products across the three microfinance institutions so far.

While designing the housing microfinance products with each microfinance institution, the following questions were assessed:

Gender-specific barriers to accessing housing microfinance.
Role of women in deciding on home-based investments.
* Considerations around housing microfinance loans and impact on women's safety, health, or livelihood.

TCIS now wants to assess these housing microfinance products developed under technical assistance across the three microfinance institutions from a gender perspective. The aim is to understand how housing microfinance products and services developed under the program, including the dissemination of information through construction education materials to a few clients in India and Nepal, affect gender roles, access to decision-making, and well-being. The study would also inform how existing product and service delivery mechanisms can be redesigned to be more inclusive and responsive to women’s needs in the product scale-up phase.

The primary objective of the assessment is to
* Evaluate the gendered impact of housing microfinance loans on borrower households.
* Assess the accessibility, usability, and benefits of housing loans across genders.
* Understand how housing finance contributes to women’s agency, household decision-making, and safety.
* Identify gaps and opportunities to enhance gender-responsive practices in housing finance delivery.

Please note: We encourage using quantitative data points, global case studies, and references to substantiate and validate qualitative and anecdotal findings.

Scope of Work
The selected research agency will be responsible for:
Study Design & Methodology
* Develop a research framework and tools incorporating gender analysis and mainstream principles.
* Propose a sampling methodology across multiple geographic locations.
* Design both qualitative and quantitative tools (surveys, FGDs, IDIs)

Fieldwork and Data Collection*
* Ensure that at least 50% of the staff at each level are women.
* Conduct a thorough briefing for the field survey team.
* Conduct surveys and interviews with sample respondents of:
- Male and female borrowers
- Microfinance institution staff at the branch and zonal / regional level
- Product development team/Senior management

Please note: the selected firm should coordinate directly with the microfinance institutions and plan field visits. TCIS will provide point person contact details only for each of the microfinance institutions.

Data Analysis
* Disaggregate findings by gender, MFI-wise, borrower/co-borrower-wise, product-wise, geography, loan type, and income segments.
* Analyze the impact of housing microfinance on women and overall changes in:
- Housing conditions.
- Women’s involvement in financial and housing decisions.
- Livelihood and safety outcomes are linked to improved housing.
(If feasible, add ‘capture other outcomes in addition to the above – many earlier studies have shown many unintended outcomes, esp. health, education, and social / community as well. If that is not a priority, it can be dropped.

Reporting & Recommendations
* Inception Report detailing the final study design, methodology, and execution plan.
* Analysis plan and reporting format ahead of the field work completion.
* Prepare a draft and final report with key insights and infographics.
- Word document for publishing
- PPT format
* Highlight one/two detailed case studies.
* Submit a draft report and present draft findings to the TCIS team.
* Revise the draft report and present a final report.

Eligibility criteria
The consulting/research firm or an individual consultant should possess the following qualifications: -
* Strong experience in microfinance, housing finance, and microfinance methodologies and processes.
* Strong experience in gender research, especially in financial inclusion or housing.
* Familiarity with microfinance and housing finance sectors in South Asia.
* Strong capabilities in mixed-methods research (qualitative + quantitative).
* Experience in conducting fieldwork in diverse socio-economic contexts.
* Team members with expertise in gender, housing, and inclusive development in the South Asian context, particularly India and Nepal.
* At least one member of the study team must be female, preferably the gender expert.
* Ability to deploy 50% female staff for the survey.

Deliverables and timeline

The following table outlines the deliverables: -

Week 1- Inception meeting followed by an Inception Report with detailed methodology, timelines
Week 7- Draft report
Week 10- Final report + ppt

The study shall commence on the date the contract is signed. The duration of the complete study is ten weeks.

The study is expected to take approximately 2.5 months, and all deliverables must be finalized and submitted by October 31, 2025.

Payment terms
The payment schedule for the study shall be as per the information below.

Deliverable(s) % of the contract value
Inception report 20%
Draft report 30%
Final report 50%

Please note that the fees should cover all expenses related to project-related travel, lodging, meals, and air travel.

Submission of proposal
The consulting agencies should apply by sending a proposal in english (PDF format), covering the following:
* Understanding of the assignment
* Organization profile
* Detailed Methodology
* Timeline for various activities
* Relevant experience in conducting similar studies within the last 5 years
* Budget with detailed break-up in MS Excel
* Profile of key team members
* Data management and analysis capabilities

Interested firms must submit their technical and financial proposals by 25th July 2025 directly to the following nmaroti@habitat.org.

How to apply

Interested firms must submit their technical and financial proposals by 25th July 2025 directly to the following nmaroti@habitat.org.