The Minister-designate for Works and Housing, Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah, has revealed that there are currently 10,720 housing units in various stages of development in the Greater Accra Region.
These units aim to help alleviate Ghana’s housing deficit. Mr Oppong-Nkrumah disclosed this during an inspection of ongoing construction works with Ministry staff on Tuesday, March 26, 2024.
He highlighted that Ghana’s urban population stands at 58%, with an urbanization rate of 3.3%, and a housing deficit of 1.8 million units, making housing a critical developmental challenge.
The Minister-designate outlined several housing projects, focusing on areas such as the Tema Development Company (TDC) Affordable housing enclave in Kpone, Community 22, Pokuase, Tessano, and Lartebiokorshie. These initiatives aim to address the pressing need for housing in the country.
“More than 10,000 units of property are under development in various stages. Under the TDC Affordable Housing enclave, we’ve already done about 1,072 and we’re just about to start work on phase IV which is about 800.
“In Community 22 we’ve already done 300 heading to 400 and then they’re going to start the next phase which brings it to about 600.
“In Pokuase, there are about 8,000 though they’re behind schedule. In Tessano we’ve got about 320 that are almost completed and in Lartebiokorshie we’ve got about 100 units.
“So by the time all of it is completed, this should give us more than 10,000 units,” the Minister-designate said.
The housing deficit in Ghana has long been a critical issue, leading to inadequate living conditions for many citizens due to the lack of affordable housing.
However, the Minister-designate highlighted that the construction of these new housing units is part of a broader government initiative to increase the housing stock and reduce rental prices.
He mentioned that the housing units under construction include single-family homes and subsidized 1, 2, and 3-bedroom units, aiming to accommodate the diverse needs and income levels of the population.
Mr. Oppong-Nkrumah emphasized that the Ministry is collaborating with private sector developers and stakeholders to accelerate construction and make these housing units available as soon as possible.
Additionally, the government is exploring other avenues to construct more affordable houses to address the 1.8 million-unit deficit.