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A lecturer at the Kumasi Technical University says inadequate data on Ghana’s housing rental system is likely to hamper the implementation of the NPP’s National Rental Assistance Scheme.
Dr Smart Sarpong speaking on Joy FM's Midday News Monday, explained that there is little to no information on buildings, landlords and rentable apartments and houses to support the scheme.
Landlords who will receive the monies loaned to tenants and their buildings are not properly registered and regulated, he added.
“I remember somewhere last year a section of some NABCO guys were asked to do this exercise, register residents, facilities, apartments and their landlords. We have not been told the outcome of that exercise,” he told anchor Emefa Apawu.
Dr Sarpong stated that many landlords have taken the opportunity to turn facilities meant for other projects to apartments leaving the cities unregulated.
“That is the core of the problem," he added.
Government has promised to set aside $100 million as a seed into a new National Rental Assistance Scheme (NRAS), it intends to set up to address accommodation problem if it is voted in power come December 2020.
Speaking at the party’s 2020 manifesto launch in Cape Coast, the Vice president, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia said will serve as a loan allowance for payment of rents to bridge the gap between tenants and landlords.
“Under the National Rent Allowance Scheme, we will give you a loan to pay your rent allowance, not directly to you but the landlord and then we will deduct monthly as you will normally pay”.
However, Dr Sarpong believes that before the program works the government should begin the collection of data that has all landlords properly captured.
Reacting to the NPP's promise of a National Rental Assistance Scheme some people who spoke to JoyNews said they prefer the government enforce the implementation of the current Rent Control Act.
This act gives residents the opportunity to pay advance rent up to six months instead of two years many landlords have chosen to collect.
Others believe government can make existing affordable housing cheaper for people to use the loan to buy and pay monthly.
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