The State Housing Corporation now State Housing Company Limited was for some time a household name in the delivery of estate houses for institutions, organisations and the general public, particularly in the First Republic. It was well known for the construction of estate houses in Accra, Kumasi, Takoradi and some urban areas throughout the country. In Takoradi, the company constructed the Effia Kuma Estate, popularly known as New Site many years ago. Now, these estate houses have become so dilapidated that they have become an apology of human settlement, particularly the North Effia Kuma Estate, where some police personnel are living, including the Effia Kuma Police Station. Most of the buildings in this area have virtually collapsed, while others are hanging as a result of intensive soil erosion caused by rain. It is against this backdrop that State Housing Company (SHC), has developed a plan to renew/review the urban landscape for the redevelopment of its very old estate houses in the country into a modem and appreciable standards. This will involve the improvement in the housing stock, as well as the people living in those areas. This is in line with the company's core business of housing people and businesses in a profitable but socially responsible manner. The Board of Directors of the State Housing Company have inspected the North Effia Kuma Estate, the Ituma Site and the 58-acre land the company has acquired at Assakae, near Takoradi for the development of estate houses. The acting Zonal Director of the SHC in charge of Western and Central Regions, Mr Luke A. Kuulamore, told the Daily Graphic that the company had paid about GH¢50,000 to officially acquire 27 out of the 58 acres of the land at Assakae. He said the company had completed 66 estate houses on the 50-acre land at the Ituma Site, while 25 new buildings were under construction and that a total of 160 estate houses were expected to be constructed at the Ituma Site, near Takoradi. Mr Kuulamore said the company was constructing 16 new estate houses in Cape Coast, saying that three were being constructed at Ola and 13 at the Fourth Ridge. He said a total of 336 houses were expected to be constructed on the company's 84 acres of land at Fourth Ridge. According to Mr Kuulamore, the houses were constructed and sold to public institutions and individuals who pre-financed them or made part deposits. The Managing Director of the State Housing Company, Mr Mark Nii Akwei Ankrah, told the Daily Graphic that "We believe that North Effia Kuma offers a wonderful opportunity to create a template for how we can transform our built environment, living conditions and socionomic lives worth of the 21st century". Without these aspirations and commitment to develop our social and economic lives, he noted that any desire we have of developing would be farfetched. Mr Ankrah explained that this would require an initial investment into a thorough feasibility study of the community and its immediate environment. "This feasibility will inform us the nature of consultation and engagement strategy to adopt before any project can be conceptualised and implemented," he further explained. He said all relevant stakeholders would be consulted on the fact that there was sustainable socio-economic regeneration. The managing director said the SHC was the lead implementing agency of housing delivery in the country, adding "We operate directly under the Ministry of Water Resources, Works and Housing to deliver the government's vision of providing affordable social housing for all Ghanaians". "We are very much aware of the socionomic challenges that confront us", he said adding "but we are confident that the timing is right because there is clear evidence that the people in the community need something different". Mr Ankrah also noted that with the advent of the oil driven economic activities, the potential for new and more jobs for the local people would serve as a catalyst for investment into complementary services such as social housing. He said the SHC would not concentrate its activities only in the urban areas, but also in the rural areas in fulfillment of its commitment to provide housing for all Ghanaians as practicable as possible, regardless of income groups. He said the SHC would be relaunched as the premier housing provider in Ghana. Source: Daily Graphic