Tenants petition govt to turn Saglemi housing project into social housing

The National Tenants’ Union of Ghana has petitioned the Minister of Works and Housing Francis Asenso-Boakye to convert the Affordable Housing Project into what they call a social housing project.

Their petition to the Minister said “On the 21st of April, 2021 you made it possible for the Leadership of the Union to meet you to deliberate of matters of concern in the housing sector. We take this opportunity to commend you for opening your doors to grass organizations such as ours, though it took us over Eight (8) years under successive governments to meet the sector minister.

“With such a symbolic gesture, we are assured that your government has good intentions for Ghanaians; and we are also assured by this symbolic gesture you have demonstrated that you will not pay a lip service to the housing pledges that you and your government made in your 2020 manifesto on housing proceeding to the election 2020.

“Hon. Minister, the housing deficit of the Country has rocketed in excess of 2 million housing units and still rising at alarming rates. Experts project that, our country needs a little above 5.7 million rooms by 2025 and the current housing stock delivery by both private and public sectors stand a little over 40,000 housing units annually which in deficit of 140,000 housing units considering the required stock of 200,000 housing units annually. To bridge the gap, it is expected that the annual stock provided by both the private and public entities of 40,000 housing units have to increase four folds in other words, 160,000 units annually for a continuous period of 10 years from now. Hon Minister, we do not have the slightest doubts that you can’t live to expectation considering your pledge of establishing an independent Housing Authority, a National housing fund and increasing the pension fund from the current 5%.”

Below is the full petition:

THE WORKS AND HOUSING MINISTER

OFFICE OF THE MINISTER,

MINISTRIES,

ACCRA.

Cc:

THE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC

THE CHIEF DIRECTOR, MINISTRY OF WORKS AND HOUSING

ALL MEDIA HOUSES

AN OPEN LETTER TO THE MINISTER

PETITION TO CONVERT THE SAGLEMI AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECT INTO SOCIAL HOUSING

The National Tenants’ Union of Ghana on behalf of Tenants in Ghana numbering in excess of 11 million people would like to use this medium to congratulate you on your assumption into office as the Minister responsible for Works and Housing.

On the 21st of April, 2021 you made it possible for the Leadership of the Union to meet you to deliberate of matters of concern in the housing sector. We take this opportunity to commend you for opening your doors to grass organizations such as ours, though it took us over Eight (8) years under successive governments to meet the sector minister. With such a symbolic gesture, we are assured that your government has good intentions for Ghanaians; and we are also assured by this symbolic gesture you have demonstrated that you will not pay a lip service to the housing pledges that you and your government made in your 2020 manifesto on housing proceeding to the election 2020.

Hon. Minister, the housing deficit of the Country has rocketed in excess of 2 million housing units and still rising at alarming rates. Experts project that, our country needs a little above 5.7 million rooms by 2025 and the current housing stock delivery by both private and public sectors stand a little over 40,000 housing units annually which in deficit of 140,000 housing units considering the required stock of 200,000 housing units annually. To bridge the gap, it is expected that the annual stock provided by both the private and public entities of 40,000 housing units have to increase four folds in other words, 160,000 units annually for a continuous period of 10 years from now. Hon Minister, we do not have the slightest doubts that you can’t live to expectation considering your pledge of establishing an independent Housing Authority, a National housing fund and increasing the pension fund from the current 5%.

Hon. Minister, the current state of the housing deficits has plunged the country into the Landlords’ market, where the few who ply trade in residential and commercial rental housing take undue advantage in the housing rental market to charge rent and take rent advance exceeding the duration required in law.

Hon Minister, Section 25(5) of the Rent Control laws of 1963, Act 220 is very clear on that. But due to the limited supply of housing units, and demand outrunning supply, government is unable to enforce that portion of the law, and that renders tenants in this county hopeless and impoverished resulting in the rise and spread of slums in the cities of our country.

We have also observed that, past governments’ housing policies and directives have been one for only the public sector without giving any serious consideration to the private sector, though they constitute more than 75% of the population in need of a place to lay their heads. In your pledge to the nation in your manifesto 2020, you were categorical that in your second term, low income and social housing to provide affordable housing to the poor would be your priority. It is in view with these promises made to the good people of Ghana that we request that you facilitate and bring to the Attention of His Execellency the President of the Republic, Nana Addo Danquah Akuffo – Addo to order and direct the 1500 houses built by the previous government at Seglemi be made available to the poor to rent and subsequently own it. We are of the view that converting that affordable housing at Saglemi would prove to the good people of Ghana that you and your government are committed to promoting Social Housing as promised.

The Tenants’ Union is very ready to support government to use the Saglemi housing project as a pilot project for rental accommodation, and as a social intervention to reduce the suffering that majority of Ghanaians are going through.

We will ensure that we assist government to succeed when a decision is taken to use the seglemi housing project for rent purpose. The Union will put in maximum efforts to help governments recoup investment into the project and build more social housing for the poor in the society to benefit. We are hopeful that such a gesture would help improve the messy conditions that the housing sector finds itself to today.

Hon. Minister, it is our fervent hope that our request meets your kind consideration and urgent attention in order to transform and reverse the growing housing deficit of the country.

Yours sincerely,

FREDRICK OPOKU

(SECRETARY – GENERAL)