Tenants Union of Ghana endorses the launch of the National Rental Assistance Scheme

The Vice President of the Republic, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia and the Minister for Works and Housing, Hon. Francis Asenso-Boakye are gearing up to launch one of the government’s biggest social intervention campaign promises, the National Rental Assistance Scheme.

The National Rental Assistance Scheme, according to the Ghana government, is designed to assist young graduates, low and average income earning Ghanaians with their rent accommodation challenges.

It is against this background that we, the over 11 million members of the Tenants Union of Ghana led by our Secretary-General, Mr. Frederick Opoku have resolved to fully endorse and support the National Rental Assistance Scheme.

In August 2020, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia during the launch of the 2020 NPP manifesto in Cape Coast said the scheme is going to bring a big relief to the housing sector.

The Tenants Union of Ghana supports and have rallied behind this project because it is a very laudable initiative that will provide a loan scheme to help particularly Ghanaians who cannot afford to pay the hefty advance rent (most often covering two years) to private landlords.

Sadly, over millions of low-income Ghanaians struggle to pay off their rent advance and if they do find a way, it's often a bank loan with an interest or a miraculous intervention which only God knows.

Advance rent payment frustrations coupled with the outrageous exploitation of tenants in terms house rent charges have for so many years made life unbearable for the ordinary Ghanaian.

It is in this direction that we deem the launch of the National Rental Assistance Scheme slated for Tuesday 31st January at the Accra International Conference Centre as a very bold and critical intervention to support Ghanaians struggling to pay house rent.

It would be recalled that Government in the 2021 budget again reaffirmed its readiness to implement this much-touted scheme that will provide eligible Ghanaians with low–interest loans to enable them to pay for rent advance.

The Tenants Union of Ghana further takes this opportunity to urge the government to, as much as possible, ensure transparency and fairness on its part.

We believe strongly that such level of fairness would pave way for the most vulnerable, and those less fortunate and most importantly, the informal sector and ordinary lives who deserve to benefit access the scheme.

As a Union, fronting the voice of more than 11 million tenants, we are full of praises for the Akufo-Addo-Dr. Bawumia led government for bringing this significant financial relief to our members and largely to the general Ghanaian populace.

In conclusion we also admonish the government to come out with clear modalities on who qualifies to access the National Rental Assistance Scheme in order to address its associated eligibility issues.

Thank you!!

God bless our Homeland Ghana

And Make Our Nation Greater And Stronger!!!!

Signed

FREDERICK OPOKU

SECRETARY-GENERAL

(TENANTS UNION OF GHANA)

COMRADE REINDOLPH

DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS

(TENANTS UNION OF GHANA)

WILLIAM NANA YAW BEEKO

MEDIA RELATIONS ASSISTANT

(TENANTS UNION OF GHANA)