The Ministry of Water Resources, Works and Housing is partnering the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in a five-year housing project.

The University’s College of Art and Built Environment will pilot the construction of 10 thousand housing units across the country over the period.

An agreement has been reached with a social investor to fund the project over 40 years if the pilot proves successful.

A nationwide housing data collection and awareness creation   will precede the initiative dubbed ‘Homes for All’, with support from the Ministry of Local Government and the Ghana Institute of Housing.

Ghana’s current housing deficit is estimated at 1.7 million, with the situation very acute in the cities.

Though organized housing is considered a tool for sustainable communities, most communities in Ghana that are characterized by rising population suffer an acute shortage of decent or affordable housing.

Emphasis will be placed on local content in implementation to provide affordable housing for the middle, low and even no income groups under a special scheme.

An agreement has been reached with a social investor to fund the project over a period of 40-years.

Professor Nana Edward Badu is Provost of the KNUST College of Art and Build Environment.

He is optimistic a successful execution of the project would ensure equal and fair access to housing, especially, for deprived members of society.

“Whilst government attempt to provide affordable housing are stifle by lack of funds and in-depth analysis of what and how to exactly go about it, the private sector interprets affordability as providing for those who can only afford it," Prof Badu said

"However, it is hard to time this trend changed and we are here today to do exactly that”, Prof Badu emphasized.

Tapping from the experience and well-versed academic exploits of the KNUST’s College of Arts and Art and Build Environment, the project hopes to produce within 2 to 5 years, 10,000 homes across all the ten regions of Ghana.

“The provision of the next batch of homes would be strictly research-based and our tailored-made center of excellence in housing studies at the College of Art and Build Environment would lead the charge in providing the needed data for this exercise”, says Prof Nana Edward Badu.

Born out of the annual Conference for Housing Excellence, the leading platform for discussing issues related to housing delivery which entered its 6^th year, good strategies for management and maintenance will be used.  

Minister of Water Resources, Works and Housing, Dr.  Kwaku Agyemang-Mensah,   is upbeat about the prospects of the initiative.

He says it will help bridge the demand and supply gap for housing through the provision of accurate and reliable data.

“I think as a people, we have come to the realization of the need to take concrete actions against a challenge which confronts our ability to provide housing that is sustainable and affordable to the vulnerable.

We have depended mostly on data provided by the Ghana Statistical Service which we are aware, as part of the Housing and Population census is conducted at ten-year intervals. It is, therefore, refreshing that you have taken this bold initiative to undertake this exercise which will be of tremendous value to the housing industry”.