The Ghana Real Estate Developers Association (GREDA) is demanding for continuity in housing projects initiated by government.
Speaking to the media, Executive Secretary of GREDA, Samuel Amegayibor, citing the Saglemi Housing project as an example, lamented over the non-completion of housing projects by successive governments and advocated for the implementation of a structure that ensures continuity in housing projects in the country.
Adding that unless previous housing projects are completed by successive governments, the country’s housing deficit will never be solved.
“The issue of continuity is one of the things that we are lacking. Former President Kufuor started affordable houses to deliver 5,000 houses. Those projects are still ongoing. So if it is taking us over 20 years to just build 5,000 houses, then there’s a problem with our continuation of projects. Another government comes in, and he doesn’t feel like he has to continue what has been done,” he stated.
“If Kufuor’s project, for example, was finished in his time, or continued by the next government, at least it would have taken as maybe eight or 12 years. And if we had doubled that 5,000 in the next years, by now, we would have made some significant changes. But we didn’t do that. Then Saglemi came on board and has also been abandoned in the bush. So we should have a structure that going to regulate continuity,” he added.
Speaking further, Mr Amegayibor, opined that there should be a working national policy document that will ensure that successive governments commit to a set target for housing in Ghana.
According to him, the many manifesto promises by the various political parties is one of the main causes of stagnancy in the sector.
“It is not political manifestos that should run housing. Housing should be a national agenda with a document that exists for all of us to come and see how best to address the issue. The political manifesto can look at how to finance the project but as to the structure of housing, it should be one [document],” he stated.
Erstwhile President John Mahama has on several occasions slammed the NPP government for abandoning projects that were started during his tenure in office.
The Saglemi Affordable Housing project – one of many – was stalled due to a decision by the Akufo-Addo administration to probe the financial arrangements around the project.
The facility, which sits on a 300-acre land with one to three-bedroom flats for low-income earners, was meant to be a 5000-residential unit facility to ease the accommodation deficit in the country.
Phase One of the $200 million project saw the construction of 180 blocks comprising over 1,500 flats.
Government is yet to continue the housing project despite numerous promises to do so.
