CHANGING HOUSING LANDSCAPE (Jan 28, 2011)

A HISTORIC ceremony took place at Tesano in Accra yesterday to mark the commencement of work on the Ghana National Housing Project.
The Ghana government partnership with STX Korea to build 30,000 houses for our security agencies did not come to fruition without the manifestation of the deep-seated political division in the country, with the Minority in Parliament walking out during the debate on the deal.
Although both sides of the divide agree that something must be done to improve our housing stock, the means to achieve that goal has always been parallel.
Conservative estimates put the housing deficit at about one million units and those in need are in the lower to middle- income bracket.
The fear of paying high rent advances to Shylock landlords has forced many ordinary people to acquire land to put up their own houses.
In the emerging communities in Accra and other urban centres, both estate and private developers have encroached on public lands earmarked for schools, playing grounds and green belts.
We believe that the haphazard development in the country will cease if the state plays a major role in the construction of houses.
Whatever the disagreements that characterised the negotiations with STX Korea, the Daily Graphic thinks we need all hands on deck now that the sod-cutting ceremony for the project has been performed by President J.E.A. Mills.
Anybody who has visited the barracks of our security agencies will be saddened by the state of the accommodation facilities provided for our soldiers and policemen and women.
In some cases, rooms meant for new entrants into the security services are occupied by families of between four and eight, compelling them to keep most of their belongings such as refrigerators and deep freezers in the balconies.
It is important, therefore, that we all embrace the Ghana National Housing Project that will provide safe and decent accommodation for all our security personnel.
Sometimes the fanfare that greets new projects is not sustained, leading to the neglect of the projects because of lack of supervision and commitment from all the stakeholders.
The Ghana National Housing Project, it is hoped, will provide the catalyst for a housing boom in which every working person can afford very decent accommodation.
The Daily Graphic reminds the authorities not to limit the project to the first phase but build all the 200,000 houses and more to ensure the availability of decent housing for all.
In our bid to achieve this dream of transforming the housing industry, we appeal to the government to try and secure the resources to complete the houses started by the previous administration, so that the squatters do not gain at the expense of the taxpayer. Again, it is important to factor local content into the project by involving local real estate developers in its execution.
The Daily Graphic congratulates all the partners in the Ghana National Housing Project on their efforts to bring to fruition this huge investment that will create jobs and wealth.
It is our prayer that the monitoring and evaluation of the project will be at its best, so that the taxpayer will get value for money and we will also avoid shoddy work that the President warned against.