Existing housing projects will be completed - Atta Akyea

Hon. Samuel Atta Akyea, MP for Abuakwa South and Minister designate for Works and Housing has hinted of his resolve to complete all ongoing housing projects started under the erstwhile Presidents Kuffour and Mahama administrations before new ones can begin.

According to the Member of Parliament for Abuakwa South who was answering questions at the Appointments Committee of Parliament when he appeared for his vetting, he will make a strong case to the Akufo-Addo government to ensure the completion of existing housing projects before new ones are tackled.

“I laud the NDC government for tackling parts of Presidents Kufuor’s housing project. Let me say that, I will carry through with the constitutional requirements that projects started by previous governments are continued and completed by succeeding the government.”

“I will even push further to suggest that we do not start new projects until these old ones are completed,” he added.

Hon. Atta Akyea also added that he will provide the conducive environment for private entities to enter the housing industry and succeed all as part of moves to help government to achieve the ultimate objective of providing affordable housing for Ghanaians.

Ghana currently has a social housing problem, with a deficit of 1.7 million units

Statistics have it that over thousand Ghanaians are roaming in the urban areas in the country without a place to sleep.

This, therefore, means the country has to be putting up over fifteen thousand housing units each year for the next ten years before the issue could be addressed.

Both the two leading political parties in the country namely, the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC), and the New Patriotic Party have made several promises to Ghanaians so far as the housing issue is concerned.

However, several years on many of those promises by the governments of the two parties have either been forgotten or were a political gimmick as usual.

In 2012 manifesto of NDC, they, promised to use local materials such as bricks, tiles, and pozzolana cement to help raise some accommodation structures for Ghanaians.

On the other hand, the NPP promised to build affordable housing units for rent across the country but did not win the elections.

Tenants in the country are filled with stories which bother around their maltreatment by some landlords, landladies, and rent agents.

Some landlords and ladies have been reported charging two years rent advance from potential tenants which contradict the law of the land. The complaints are countless.

Hon. Atta Akyea, however, urged local banks to provide long term mortgage arrangement for workers in order to make it convenient for Ghanaians to own homes.