Government has no business providing houses for citizens – Prof Adarkwa

A former Vice-Chancellor of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Professor Kwasi Kwarfo Adarkwa, has called on the government not to saddle itself with the arduous task of providing housing units to its citizens but rather create an enabling environment to allow private investors to provide the needed housing units in the country.

His admonition is in response to numerous calls by key stakeholders that the government must lead the way in the provision of housing units to reduce Ghana's huge housing deficit.

According to Prof Kwasi Kwarfo Adarkwa, it’s not the government’s duty to provide houses for citizens.

“Government has no business to do that business. Government knows that they will create the appropriate environments, the right institutions will now begin to work and those interested in investing in the sector can then invest so that ultimately this housing units will become available,” he told Rev Kwabena Opuni-Frimpong on GTV’s ‘What is Next?’.

Adding that Ghana’s housing deficit currently stands at about 2 million units, Prof Adarkwa noted that the government does not have the capacity to provide the needed units in the short to medium term.

Admitting that ‘affordability’ is relative, Prof Adarkwa said the targets of affordable housing units should be rightly defined so people’s hopes are not dashed on completion.

“We are building up houses, they are affordable to a certain group but targeting the right socio-economic group so they can have access to those buildings is extremely important but thus far we haven’t done too well with that.”

He further urged Ghanaians to leave within their means and needs as there are low-cost houses for persons who do not earn enough to buy houses in gated communities.

“We need to be more realistic and cut down on our taste… our wants our limitless but we have real needs so let’s look at those real needs and forget about the wants,” he said, adding that people should be content with a house that meets the needs of the family and not expensive houses.