Urban Housing Supply Challenges And Implications For Affordable Housing In Accra

Abstract

Provision of affordable housing for the low and some middle income groups has become one of the major developmental challenges faced by government, the private sector as well as individuals in Accra with an ever growing housing deficit. Though housing is recognized as a human right, government interventions have failed to meet the housing needs of these income groups leaving access to only the higher income groups to acquire housing. The excess housing demand over supply as a result of rapid urbanization and population growth has resulted in acute shortage of affordable housing, rising cost of accommodation, growth of urban slums and homelessness. Challenges individuals, private developers as well as government go through in the supply of housing units, have also had serious implications on the affordability of the few supplied. It was against this background that this study was conducted with the objective of examining the different strategies adopted by the different socio-economic groups in accessing housing, amidst the many challenges associated with access to affordable housing in Accra. This study adopted the survey method to sample the views of 56 respondents from three purposively selected areas in the Accra metropolis. In addition, nine (9) personnel from government officials in the housing sector and three (3) from the private sector of housing were also interviewed. It was found that housing was still being accessed by the rich in Accra, low and some middle income earners were at a disadvantage when it comes to affordability of housing giving the prevailing market prices. Thus, many resorted to renting. Furthermore, this study found that there were similar challenges facing both government and the private sectors of housing, some of which were difficulty in land acquisition, lack of finance, infrastructure provision, increasing cost of building materials and finally lack of a comprehensive housing policy to guide the various players in the housing sector. Recommendations made included the fact that Ghana needs a well-coordinated, long-term urban planning vision, pragmatic and devoid of political motivations to guide urban planning. Also the provision of a decent, adequate and affordable housing to the Ghanaian populace should be seen as the citizen’s human right under the Social contract and therefore, a critical component of the socio-economic development of Ghana. Having this mind set, there is the need to promulgate a comprehensive, workable and enforceable National Housing Policy and the related National Settlement Planning System to be developed in tandem with all professionals in the construction sector to allow for effective utilization of local materials. Lastly, The Ministry of Water Resources Works and Housing should strengthen its collaboration with Ghana Real Estate Developers Association in a stronger public-private partnership to assist in the provision of mass affordable housing units in Accra and the country as a whole.