Outgone Works and Housing Minister, Samuel Atta Akyea has said that Ghanaians are “marking time for Akufo-Addo flats” though he believes the President will be able to deliver as he exits office in 2025.
“I’ve heard and I believe it’s true, the President [Akufo-Addo] intends tackling affordable housing in his second term and I believe he will do so”, he responded to a question by Joy Business at a recent event held by the Ghana Institution of Engineers to mark ‘World Engineering Day’.
“We’ve had the benefit of the Nkrumah flats, we’ve also had the benefit of Nyaniba estates. We’ve also had the benefit of the Kanda estates. If you look at the good work of Kuntu Acheampong in Dansoman, it is telling you that President Akufo-Addo has the whole world of opportunity to write his name in gold, in the area of affordable housing; Ghanaians are marking time for the Akufo-Addo flats, he will be able to do so as he exits office in 2025”, Mr. Atta Akyea pointed out.
“About 10 million Ghanaians do not have descent place of abode to stay. This is due to the fact that Ghana’s housing deficit unit has surpassed the two million housing units mark”, he emphasised.
Mr. Atta Akyea said he has left a working paper to the new Housing Minister to address the rising housing gap situation.
“What is very important is our income levels are not good enough to permit us to buy houses. I have put together a working paper to leverage on the pension funds and then create our mortgage regime for the workers, given our income level because that source of money is the workers monies”
“And then Ghana will be a good place to live because you can never talk about national security without addressing the issue where a man will lay his head”, he added.
Ghana needs 100,000 housing units annually
Ghana requires 100,000 housing units annually in order to bridge the rising housing deficit.
This requires many affordable houses in the cities, particularly Accra, Tema, Kumasi, Takoradi and Tamale