Housing micro-finance is not a new trend in Africa. Historically, it has been known that shelter needs in the continent are largely met when households seek out their own savings and other informal funding sources to finance and build their homes incrementally. Housing microfinance is not a new trend in Africa. Historically, it has been known that shelter needs in the continent are largely met when households seek out their own savings and other informal funding sources to finance and build their homes incrementally. A new dimension was added to this process of self build when microfinance lending grew in the continent, and lenders saw that microfinance loans for small business and other uses became diverted for housing purposes. While 30 percent diversion rate of microfinance loans is often mentioned as typical, it cannot be said for certain from this study what the level of diversion is. What is for certain is that many microfinance lenders have started, or are considering providing loans for HMF, precisely because they are aware of this demand, and are eager to begin to take advantage of it.