A 2024 Ghana Housing Profile study commissioned by the Ministry of Works and Housing has revealed that a number of Ghanaians are left vulnerable and exploited by landlords and house owners who charge high rents and excessive rent advance.

According to the lead consultants of the study, Professor Clifford Amoako, the situation is more eminent in urban areas and is largely due to the non-functionality of laws in the housing sector despite a plethora of laws.

Speaking at a validation workshop on the study in Accra, Professor Amoako said Ghana has a regulatory environment which should address these challenges. However the institutions and systems put in place are not working.

"There are so many laws, so many regulations and so many institutions involved but the coordination has been weak and as a results we have an exploitative private sector that is exploiting the average renter and making life difficult for them.

"What this means is that people still pay two or three years rent advance which is so much money. It also means that people are using their own money to furnish and complete homes and still paying advance to landlords.

"So the institutions and regulatory frame works are not really working and therefore the average tenant or worker is always faced with exploitation."

Meanwhile, the Minister of Works and Housing, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah has announced government’s plan to expand the National Home Ownership fund.

He says this will provide affordable housing for public servants across the country under a district housing program.

"The Ministries of Finance and Housing have also agreed to expand the operations of the National Home Ownership fund which was utilized to pilot development in Community 22 Tema by the TDC.

"The expansion will utilise the fund to commence a district housing programme by the government which will develop houses for public servants in the peri-urban areas and districts using local construction materials and blended financing cost on one hand and mortgages to support buyers on the other hand."