Developing innovative solutions to access housing
BNP Paribas has long worked to provide individuals with housing and accommodation solutions that are more accessible, sustainable and inclusive. A closer look at two innovative deals, signed by BNP Paribas Fortis to help would-be homeowners, and BNP Paribas Asset Management to help people who are getting on in years.
BNP Paribas Fortis, Belgium’s leading mortgage lender, has teamed up with Matexi, a key player in property development, to launch HappyNest. This unprecedented lease-purchase formula targets new and energy-efficient houses and apartments.
Making the purchase of sustainable housing more accessible in Belgium
HappyNest offers an innovative alternative to the immediate acquisition of a new sustainable home, which is difficult for many individuals in Belgium. By joining forces, the two partners aim to make the new sustainable and energy-efficient construction segment more accessible. More specifically, with HappyNest, the prospective buyer initially rents the home at a market price. Then, during the 5th and 6th years, the scheme allows them to buy the home, without obliging them to do so. The rent paid is then partly deducted from the purchase price.
Designing appropriate housing solutions for senior citizens in France
For its part, BNP Paribas Asset Management has invested, in equal shares with “Banque des Territoires” (Territories Bank), in “Entreprendre pour Humaniser la Dépendance” (EHD - Undertaking to Humanise Dependence), one of the real estate companies of the “Mouvement Habitat et Humanisme” (Housing and Humanism Movement), as part of its €34 million fundraising operation. BNP Paribas Asset Management’s €10 million contribution was split into equity interests (90%) and a capital contribution (10%). It has extended the support provided to EHD for more than 10 years via its employee savings and banking funds.
This operation enabled the real estate company to strengthen its development throughout mainland France in order to provide a range of housing and accommodation solutions to the most modest senior citizens, from institutions for dependent elderly people (French EHPADs) to intergenerational residences and inclusive housing. BNP Paribas Asset Management’s acquisition of this stake illustrates its involvement with operators looking to provide solutions with a strong social impact for the elderly.
A new training centre in France for the NGO WPDI
As an extension of its support for the Whitaker Peace & Development Initiative (WPDI), founded by the artist and social activist Forest Whitaker, BNP Paribas is helping to finance the establishment of the NGO’s training centre in Aubervilliers, France, which marks the launch of the WPDI’s activities in Europe.