What Can Developing Countries Do To Promote Urban Property Titling?

Lessons from the DR Congo

Metaketa researchers: Pablo Balan, Augustin Bergeron, Gabriel Tourek, Jonathan Weigel

Geographical region: Africa

Project country: Democratic Republic of the Congo

Case study question: Can simplification and subsidies increase demand for and access to formal property titles?

Edited by: Jaclyn Leaver

The Metaketa Initiative is a collaborative research model with a mission to improve knowledge about critical governance issues through rigorous field experiments. In each Metaketa “round,” the initiative coordinates multiple studies on a specific topic or intervention in a variety of countries and contexts.

As part of our efforts to share the results and policy impacts from the Metaketa Initiative, we’ve put together a series of Stories of Change. These stories share case studies that highlight new approaches and interventions used by Metaketa researchers and implementing partners.

Here we share the story of an experiment in the DR Congo to promote formal property titles and increase property tax revenue. This study is part of the second Metaketa round, which focused on formalization, taxation, and public services.