W/R: Oppong Nkrumah Launches District Housing Programme to Address 1.8 Million Housing Deficit

The Minister for Works and Housing, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, has launched a new District Housing Programme for public sector workers as an innovative approach to addressing Ghana’s rural housing development deficit.

The District Housing Programme aims to provide housing for public sector workers, including nurses, teachers, police officers, doctors, and district assembly workers.

Kojo Oppong Nkrumah unveiled the new District Housing Programme during the 2024 Busia Institute Lectures at Takoradi Technical University, themed ‘Housing the Future: Innovative Approaches to Rural Development in Ghana.’ He noted that Ghana’s current housing deficit of 1.8 million and its associated challenges will continue until issues with financing, detailed data, policy frameworks, innovative interventions, and institutional frameworks are effectively addressed.

“35% of Ghanaians require affordable housing…We need detailed data to reflect the changing trends in our housing requirements to meet the appropriate interventions. The Ministry is working to get the right innovation in data through research and innovation in institutional framework…”

“We have introduced a number of innovations in the area of Data, in the area of institutional arrangement, financing and project execution and our argument is that these innovations should help reduce some of the old burdens and make it easier for us to work with the private sector“, he said.

He acknowledged that while past leaders, such as Dr. Kofi Abrefi Busia, who served as Ghana’s Prime Minister from 1969 to 1972, made significant contributions to rural housing development, the current generation must adopt innovative approaches to tackle the housing deficit. Thus, the District Housing Programme has been introduced to address these challenges.

“Our forebears like Prof Busia ignited this flame many years ago. But we let it dim as the years went by. We have once again an opportunity to learn from and to build on an innovative approach in our quest to tackle the housing situation…”

“In the last three months, we have been working with the Department of Rural Housing, experts in the built environment and other stakeholders and we have developed a rural housing programme for Ghana…We are partnering with the Traditional Authorities through the Assemblies led by the MLGRD to get access to unencumbered land” he noted.

Highlighting the features of the District Housing Programme, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah told Citi News that the initiative utilizes innovative technologies to provide affordable solutions to rural housing issues.

“We need to pay equal attention to the rural Districts. That is why we are going back to the old template of rural housing. However, this time, we are using the Compressed Building Technology and Affordable Alternative Building Technology to start a District Housing Programme”, he justified.

The Works and Housing Minister explained how soon the project will kick off and the likely beneficiary Districts but not how many houses are to be built under the new District Housing Programme.

“In the coming weeks, the contractors will get on site when Cabinet approves the list of selected Districts that are going to start this pilot programme. By crowding in some more funding into the National Housing Fund, then we can escalate and expand to more Districts across the country…when the full rollout is done, we will announce the numbers that we can achieve”, he added.

With the constant issues of the high cost of building materials and its resulting expensive houses, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah spoke about how affordable the District Housing Programme would be.

“Because of the technology we are using which is the Compressed Earth Building Technology, the cost is lower, more eco-friendly, and easier for local artisans to subscribe to use it at the local level.”, he noted

Regarding sustainable solutions for addressing Ghana’s housing deficit, the Minister for Works and Housing told Channel One News that academic institutions play a crucial role in fostering research for development. He commended Takoradi Technical University for its research efforts in this area, particularly through its Faculty of Built and Natural Environment.

Detailing the university’s contributions, Rev. Prof. John Frank Eshun, Vice Chancellor of TTU and host of the 2024 Busia Institute Lectures, explained that the Faculty of Built and Natural Environment is researching the use of local materials to help reduce housing costs in Ghana.

“At Takoradi Technical University, we are deeply committed to embracing and driving innovations in housing. This commitment is exemplified by the outstanding work being undertaken by the Faculties of Built and Natural Environment and Engineering. These faculties are at the forefront of integrating cutting-edge technologies and sustainable practices into the development of housing solutions.”

“For instance, students from the Faculty of Built and Natural Environment have been actively engaged in designing, constructing, and applying composite materials for roofing and flooring in the housing industry. These projects incorporate diverse materials such as wood and plastic waste, palm kernel shells, and glass, showcasing our dedication to sustainable practices.

The Western Regional Minister, Kwabena Okyere Darko Mensah, praised Busia’s Progress government for its rural development policies, highlighting achievements such as the provision of water to rural communities through the Barekese and Anwiankwanta water projects, the introduction of the Health Insurance Scheme, and the Nkontompo Housing Scheme in Takoradi.

The Paramount Chief of the Wassa Amenfi Traditional Area, Tetrete Okuamoah Sekyim, who chaired the event, and the Executive Director of the Busia Institute, Anane Agyei, both expressed that the ideas presented during the lectures would advance rural housing solutions and policies, thereby fostering rural development in Ghana.

Following the lectures, the Works and Housing Minister joined the Vice Chancellor of TTU in inspecting a building technology exhibition organized by the Faculty of Built and Natural Environment.