President John Mahama has called for tougher enforcement of building regulations at the district assembly level, following concerns over the recent collapse of buildings

Speaking at the National Conference on Housing Finance on Wednesday, October 7, President Mahama said authorities must get to the root of building collapses and determine who is responsible for ensuring that buildings are safe.

“Lately, you hear about collapsing buildings and all that. We must get to the roots of that, especially at the district assembly level,” he said.

President Mahama explained that developers are required to obtain building permits from the relevant assemblies to ensure that their structures meet safety requirements.

“When people are building, you are supposed to get a permit from the assembly to make sure that that building is safe,” he said.

He, however, expressed concern about instances where developers continue construction despite being served with “stop work” orders.

“More often than not, you see red paints, stop work, yet the work continues, and you wonder what is happening,” President Mahama noted.

President Mahama therefore tasked the Ministry of Local Government with taking the issue seriously and ensuring accountability when buildings collapse.

“These are things that the Ministry of Local Government should take very seriously. If a house collapses, we must see whose duty it was to ensure that that house was safe. And that person must be sanctioned for it,” he said.

The President also turned to the challenge of housing affordability, stressing that housing policy succeeds only if ordinary Ghanaians can afford the homes being delivered.

“A housing policy succeeds when people can afford to live in the homes that it delivers, and affordability lies at the heart of our housing challenge,” he said.

He noted that the problem is not necessarily a lack of housing construction, but that many of the houses being delivered remain beyond the financial reach of the average Ghanaian.

“It is not like houses are not being delivered. But the kinds of houses that are being delivered are way beyond the reach of the average Ghanaian,” President Mahama stated.

He said high borrowing costs, substantial deposits and short repayment periods continue to make home ownership difficult for many households.

President Mahama called for financing arrangements that reflect the realities of Ghanaian incomes, including longer-term financing in local currency, manageable repayments and clear terms that households can understand.

He further highlighted the role of the National Home Ownership Fund in expanding access to housing finance.

According to him, partnerships with GCB Bank, Stanbic Bank and Republic Bank have supported government-backed mortgage facilities and rent-to-own arrangements.

He said the interventions have helped more than 1,000 people to own homes, while the City Mortgage rate under the National Mortgage Scheme currently stands at 8.4 per cent.

“This is a good start, and I commend the Board of Management and partner institutions for this progress,” he said.