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The Ghanaian government launched its revised national affordable housing programme on 1 August to address the country’s chronic shortage of housing.

Ghana has a housing deficit of 1.8 million units, the consequence of inadequate urban planning, limited investment in affordable housing, land acquisition and registration bottlenecks and a rapidly growing population.

The ‘My Home My Peace’ affordable housing programme will see the authorities working with the private sector for the first time to subsidise housing developments with land and infrastructure, including roads and utilities. The government says this will reduce the cost of developing housing units by 40%.

The private developers will build the units on a cost-recovery basis. To ensure the subsidy is passed on to the buyers, the government has agreed a price ceiling for the housing units, above which developers cannot sell.

Five local and international developers have been selected to be involved in the programme:
•    Rehoboth Properties (India)
•    State Housing Company Limited (local)
•    Devtraco Group Limited (local)
•    FrankPauls Ventures Company Limited (local)
•    Douja Promotion Addoha Groupe Limited (Morocco).

The first projects under the initiative involve the construction of 8,000 housing units at Pokuase/Amasaman in the Greater Accra region and 6,000 units at Dedesua in the Ashanti region. The first phase of the Pokuase scheme (4,000 units) is expected to be completed in 18 months with the remaining units to be completed under the second phase. 

Three payment options have been established for homeowners under the affordable housing programme: a mortgage plan using the National Homeownership Fund; a scheduled payment plan; and a lumpsum payment. 

The government has committed to providing sports facilities, community centres and police posts in the housing developments. These will benefit communities living nearby as well. 

It is also working with the Brick Producers Association and the Building & Road Research Institute of Ghana to ensure locally produced burnt clay bricks are used for building the housing units. 

During the sod-cutting ceremony in Pokuase to launch the housing programme, streamed live on Facebook, the government vowed to complete all ongoing housing projects in Ghana, including those initiated by previous administrations, such as the 5,000-unit Saglemi scheme, located in the Greater Accra region.

Work on the Saglemi project began in 2012 and only 1,506 housing units have been built.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo said Minister of Works & Housing Francis Asenso-Boakye has been tasked with finding a private entity with the financial and technical capabilities to complete the Saglemi project. 

The president added that while US$198 million has already been invested in the project, some US$124 million more may be required to complete the works. 

This includes US$46 million to complete the offsite infrastructure works, such as utilities and storm drains to mitigate flooding, and a further US$68 million to complete the buildings and other essential onsite infrastructure such as the sewage treatment plant and a school, clinic, and shops.

Photo: Ghana houses (© Dave Primov | Dreamstime)