Financiera Multivalores is a non-bank financial institution whose main focus is to provide personal loans and mortgages. The company focuses on mortgage loans in U.S. dollars averaging $37,000. The financing provided by the IIC will make it possible to build some forty housing units at an average price of $30,000. The construction sector is one of the main engines of Costa Rica’s economic activity; it accounts for nearly 4 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP), provides jobs for a significant portion of the working population, and generates demand for goods and services related to the housing industry. Many of these services can be provided by small and medium-size manufacturers and contractors. By helping consolidate a liquid secondary mortgage market in Costa Rica, the operation will improve the quality of life for lowermiddle and middle-income families by making it easier for them to purchase a home and providing them with an opportunity to move to a better home or neighborhood. Moreover, by providing funding, the IIC will be transferring know-how and best practices that will enable Financiera Multivalores to improve its environmental policies.