This government of Ghana has secured a whooping US $51m set to revamp all abandoned affordable housing units in the country that were initiated by former President Kufor and National Democratic Congress (NDC).
Works and Housing Minister, Samuel Atta Akyea, confirmed the reports and said about 2000 housing units are expected to be revamped for them to be occupied. The move will commence with those started by former President John Kufuor and subsequently to those built by the erstwhile NDC government.
“The quantity surveyors have brought in 51 million dollars to complete these structures which were abandoned by the NDC and we are close to getting the approval to complete them. We are going to complete them as quickly as possible and roll out new ones,” said Mr. Samuel Atta Akyea.
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Housing units program
Former President Kufuor launched the program in 2005 with an aim of providing at least 12,500 low and middle income families in the country affordable homes. Koforidua and Bio Sackey acted as the project engineer but the project was never consistent and failed in different timelines.
Under the leadership of Mr. Kufuor, the government of Ghana funded US $300m housing projects such as Kpone affordable housing project as well as others in Borteman, Greater Accra in the Ashanti Region. Ernest Biney, the then project consultant promised a completion in 2007.
Ghana Statistical Service indicate a deficit of 1.7 million housing units, which is projected to hit about two million even before 2020. Mr. Samuel Amegayibor, Ghana Real Estates Developers Association’s (GREDA) Executive Secretary earlier said that the real estate is supplying 35,000 to 40,000 housing and this is projected to rise to 90,000 units per year.
According to Mr. Amegayibor the country needs to provide an excess of 100,000 housing units annually to meet the current demand. He further with the government to address some persisting issues pertaining to their industry such as issues of land banks as well as tax breaks for real estate development in Ghana.
“It is my humble submission that if possible, the government should take land from the Allodial owners in lieu of cash in order to enable them to register all their interest in the lands they own.”
