Bank Financing and Real Estate Acquisition by Public Sector Employees in the City of Kisangani, Democratic Republic of Congo

The persistent housing deficit in the city of Kisangani, Democratic Republic of Congo, driven by rapid urbanization and limited access to affordable financing, has left many public sector employees unable to acquire decent homes, despite the sector’s role in national development. Against this, the present study investigates the effect of bank financing on real estate acquisition among public sector employees in Kisangani, with a particular focus on both access to housing and the implications of loan repayment on household welfare. Drawing on data from 387 employees across 11 administrative departments and commercial bank records collected between 2020 and 2024, the study employed an Ordinary Least Squares regression model to analyze the relationship. Findings indicate that bank financing significantly enhances the ability of employees to acquire real estate by alleviating upfront capital constraints. However, the burden of repayment was found to negatively affect short-term financial well-being, reducing discretionary spending and household savings. Based on the findings, the study proposes actionable evidence-based policy recommendations to tackle housing access and affordability for public sector employees through inclusive financial products, targeted subsidies, and coordinated institutional support.