2024 Ghana Housing Profile Study Reveals Tenants In Urban Areas Heavily Exploited By Landlords

• The 2024 Ghana Housing Profile Study has revealed that tenants, particularly in urban areas, are greedily exploited by landlords who charge outrageous rents and exorbitant fees
• The study revealed that the vulnerability of tenants is largely due to the failure of the state regulatory authority to enforce the laws
• Meanwhile, the Housing Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, says the government plans to expand the Home Ownership Fund to build houses for public sector workers

The 2024 Ghana Housing Profile study has revealed that tenants in Ghana are left vulnerable and exploited by landlords and house owners who charge outrageous rents and exorbitant rent advances.

The study, commissioned by the Ministry of Works and Housing, further revealed that the phenomenon is more prominent in Ghana’s urban centres and is largely a result of the lax enforcement of laws in the housing sector.

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This is despite the extensive laws made by parliament to govern the housing sector in Ghana.

According to the lead consultant of the study, Professor Clifford Amoako, regulatory authorities should be empowered to enforce these legislations to address the prevailing challenge in Ghana’s urban centres.

He said the regulations' non-enforceability had made life very tough for renters and tenants in the country, who were forced to fork out huge sums of money as rent advances.

"So the institutions and regulatory frameworks are not really working, and therefore, the average tenant or worker is always faced with exploitation."

Responding to the report, the Minister for Works and Housing, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, announced that the government intends to expand the National Home Ownership Fund to provide affordable housing opportunities for public sector workers nationwide.

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This would be done under a district housing programme where public servants will have houses built for them in peri-urban areas using locally sourced construction materials.

He said public sector workers will be given mortgages to purchase these houses.

Akufo-Addo washes hands off Saglemi housing project

Meanwhile, the Akufo-Addo government has been reluctant to develop the Saglemi housing project.

President Akufo-Addo has said the government cannot afford to hold on to the controversial Saglemi housing project.

He said the government needs to spend $46 million to complete infrastructure work on the project.

The president said the government has already spent $198 million on the project, which remains unused.

Works on the Saglemi Housing Project began in 2016 under the Mahama administration.

Ghana had secured a $200 million credit facility from Credit Suisse International for the construction of affordable housing units by Construtora OAS Limited.

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It is currently the subject of a criminal investigation and prosecution of some former government officials.

Housing Ministry to sell low-cost houses in Tamale

Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that the Ministry of Works and Housing is set to sell some low-cost houses in Tamale to willing buyers.

The ministry has requested the reevaluation of some houses by the Land Valuation Division of the Lands Commission.

The decision to sell the houses is in line with the policy of the Government of Ghana to dispose of such low-cost housing.

Source: YEN.com.gh