Four organised labour groups have raised concerns about the high cost of housing in the country. The groups said that the inadequacies in the provision of affordable housing units have negatively impacted on productivity, efficiency, family life and health of workers and the general public. The groups made up of nurses, teachers, civil servants and the Trades Union Congress (TUC), expressed this view at a public consultative forum on "Pinnacle Village Social Housing Scheme" for workers in Accra. The Pinnacle Village is an estate housing scheme established at Dodowa and Gomoa Nyanyano for workers by the Pinnacle Housing Foundation, an NGO. Under the scheme, managements of various institutions and organisation can negotiate with the Pinnacle Housing Foundation to get accommodation for their workers at affordable prices. The scheme is in three categories – outright purchase, shared ownership and affordable social rental. The outright purchase is a leasehold purchase for which clients pay a percentage of the price of the property and access relevant mortgage products to pay the remainder upon completion. With the shared ownership scheme, a client would have to buy a share of any of these categories 25 per cent, 50 per cent and 75 per cent respectively before owning a house. The Pinnacle Foundation will pass on its properties to both leasehold and rented properties for a management fee of not more than 10 per cent of annual net earnings. A representative of the TUC, Edmund Ansong Asante, noted that the general income level of workers is very low and as much it is very difficult for them to access real estate products like that provided by the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT). He said the demand for three years advance and monies collected by estate agents in regional capitals added to the woes of the ordinary worker looking for accommodation to rent. Mr Asante said that due to the high rent charges, most workers live further away from the centre of towns and cities and have to commute "to and from" their workplaces which is a burden on them. He stressed that sometime ago, the TUC and Casa Maria Estate explored the possibility of providing affordable housing for workers but the initiative was stillborn. Mr Asante observed that workers are eager to participate in housing schemes, if the scheme could provide them with affordable houses. The chief executive of the Pinnacle Housing Foundation, Mark Ankrah, promised workers a better, accessible and affordable homes that will help promote their productivity and efficiency level at work. "Workers should not worry about getting access to potable water and electricity because the Pinnacle Housing Foundation will provide everything including generator, plants, reservoir and recreational centres in various houses" he said. Mr Ankrah said the organisation is currently providing a consultancy service to a local traditional council in Accra to package a multi-million dollar community regeneration and housing Scheme in prime areas of the capital. He said the housing project is earmarked to take off in the second quarter of 2008. Source: The Ghanaian times