Senior Partner at AB & David Africa, David Ofosu-Dorte, has warned that the rising cost of housing in Ghana’s urban centres is making city life increasingly unaffordable, particularly for low-income residents, and contributing to growing social challenges such as homelessness.

Speaking at the JoyNews and Amalgam of Professional Bodies Speaker Series on Wednesday, May 6, on the theme “Centers of Prosperity @ the Center of the World: How we can manage our cities better to stimulate economic growth,” he said access to basic human necessities is becoming more difficult for many city dwellers.

“Housing, which is a necessity for human beings, tends to become less and less affordable for those who live in the city and who don’t have the wherewithal, which is what leads to homelessness,” he said.

He explained that beyond housing, the broader challenge touches on essential needs such as food and clothing, noting that life in the city becomes increasingly difficult when residents lack the financial capacity to meet these basic requirements.

Mr Ofosu-Dorte called on city authorities and policymakers to prioritise low-cost housing solutions as part of urban planning strategies.

He also pointed to practical interventions, including regulating the amount of rent advance demanded by landlords, as a way to improve affordability.

“City managers need to look at how they are able to supply low-cost housing or how they can use simple measures, such as the amount of advance collected by landlords, to moderate whether a person can afford to live in the city or not,” he stated.

He further highlighted the impact of urban development patterns on the quality of life, citing access to essential services such as water, electricity, healthcare, and road infrastructure as critical concerns that must be addressed deliberately.

According to him, one of the key structural issues affecting city management in Ghana is the failure to clearly distinguish between land ownership and land use, especially in densely populated urban areas.

“The development of cities brings about one very key issue that impacts legislation, the need to distinguish ownership of land from the use of land. And it’s one area that we’ve been lacking as a nation,” he said.

He explained that while landowners in rural areas may have more flexibility in how land is used, urban settings require stricter regulatory frameworks to guide development and ensure orderly growth.

“In cities, it becomes more and more important that owners of land realise that they cannot use it in any manner they like, and it must be largely shaped by legislation,” he added.

Mr Ofosu-Dorte stated that without deliberate policy direction and enforcement, the challenges of housing affordability and urban planning will continue to undermine efforts to build sustainable and inclusive cities.