An order issued by the Head of Government, dated October 8, 2026, was published this Friday in the Official Journal of the Tunisian Republic (JORT), concerning the realization of a real estate project within the framework of the lease-purchase program, in the Fouchana region, within the Governorate of Ben Arous, through a public market under a turnkey arrangement.
This order provides for entrusting the realization of this residential project to the Tunisian National Real Estate Company (SNIT), which is part of the lease-purchase program, within the framework of a turnkey public market.
It should be recalled that the 2026 finance bill emphasized the State’s role in developing an equitable housing policy aimed at guaranteeing access to decent housing. This orientation relied in particular on continuing and strengthening the programs of the Housing Promotion Fund for Employees (FOPROLOS), through the lease-to-own mechanism, as well as on the continuity of the specific social housing program.
Lease-to-own: a mechanism facilitating access to ownership
Lease-to-own is a real estate financing mechanism that allows a household to rent a dwelling for an agreed period, before becoming the owner at the end of that period or after meeting certain contractual conditions.
During the rental phase, the beneficiary pays a regular rent, part of which may be credited toward the final acquisition price or deducted from the remaining amount to be paid.
This arrangement thus aims to facilitate access to ownership for households with modest or middle incomes, by allowing them to progressively acquire their home.
It should be noted that this mechanism had already been used in Tunisia starting from the 1980s, before being abandoned.
