The striving for shelter by majority of the people is far from over because the demand for housing is very high. Land and houses are not adequate or affordable to majority of the people.
While the government initiates the process to find a way out of the challenges, many people continue to migrate to the urban areas for better economic opportunities.
There is no doubt that the solution to the housing deficit will serve as a catalyst for poverty reduction.
The announcement that the government has sealed a deal with a South Korean construction firm to deliver 200,000 housing units in the country over the next five years, beginning next year, is refreshing because the deal will help to improve the housing conditions of the people to meet their basic need for shelter.
What is also heart-warming is that the government delegation to South Korea, led by the Minister of Water Resources, Works and Housing, Mr Albert Abongo, assured the Korean partners of land for the project.
The land tenure system in the country is not the best, as, in many instances, several people contest the same title to a parcel of land. Security of tenure has not helped the efforts by the government, estate developers and individuals to scale down the housing deficit.
The problem of housing for the low-income earner is quite severe, as many people live in informal settlements or encroach on public lands. Sodom and Gommorrah and other areas in Accra are perfect examples of such settlements.
High rent charges and harassment of tenants by some landlords have compelled many workers to attempt to have their own houses. Despite the fact that self-ownership of housing offers the best solution to the problem, some people cannot afford to build houses due to the lack of disposable income.
This phenomenon of self-help housing has fed into the speculative land market, leading to multiple sales and encroachment on public lands, as well as the unplanned nature of almost all our urban centres.
It is not a healthy development for the statutory authorities and landowners to sell all lands for building purposes without regard for space for agricultural purposes and parks.
Everywhere in the world, space is always reserved for agricultural purposes and recreational facilities such as parks in order to preserve the environment.
The DAILY GRAPHIC thinks it is about time we resisted the temptation of developing at great environmental cost that will aggravate poverty in the country.
If care is not taken, there will be no land reserved for agricultural purposes in the Greater Accra Region, for instance, because of the sprawling physical development the region, particularly in Accra.
The DAILY GRAPHIC, therefore, calls on the government to encourage investment arrangements that will promote the construction of flats in all urban centres in order to conserve land for other purposes.
It is hoped that the housing deal, which involves the HFC Bank, a major housing financier in the country, will serve as a model for a turn around in the housing industry very soon.
We know that a major constraint facing most developers is the lack of housing loans. In the circumstance, developers end up putting up houses with cheap materials that are vulnerable to the weather.
The DAILY GRAPHIC calls for a national housing policy that will serve as a road map to articulate the government’s vision to ensure affordable shelter for all.
The latest deal with the South Korean firm should bear fruits so that the government’s efforts will improve housing conditions for the people, including the urban poor, to live in a safe environment.
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