ECONOMICS:GREDA expresses disappointment with gov’t’s housing policy

Housing

The Ghana Real Estate Developers Association (GREDA) has expressed disappointment  at government’s inability to respond to its overtures at assisting government to help alleviate the current housing shortage in the country.

The Association said it has over the past three-and-a-half years made several approaches and representations to government with specific proposals to provide affordable housing for Ghanaians but was yet to receive any response.

Addressing the media to set the records straight on recent labeling of GREDA by Mr Enoch Teye Mensah, Minister of Water Resources, Works and Housing as liars and seeking to create mischief, Dr Alexander
Tweneboa, President of the Association, said GREDA considered the
development as unfortunate saying they had only attempted to play their role in the country’s development.

He said over the years, GREDA had tried to assist governments by
providing support in the delivery of affordable houses for all Ghanaians in a rather difficult environment and would continue to play an important role in the delivery of housing units.

Dr Tweneboa said Ghana’s housing deficit in 2012 stood at over 1.5
million housing units saying that for the first time in the country’s
history, more than 50 per cent of Ghanaians lived in towns and cities.

He said it is estimated that over 70,000 housing units were required annually to bridge the huge housing deficit adding that over 45
to 50 per cent of Ghanaians also lived in inner city slums, uncompleted

homes, temporary  structures, containers, kiosks, poorly constructed
adobe houses in both urban and rural areas.

Dr Tweneboa said government alone was not in the position to address the challenges adding that it was important to address the
problem within the framework of the Public Private Partnership.

He said GREDA was not disappointed at the Government for awarding
a South African group the opportunity to construct 500 affordable houses but the problem was being able to build houses at the social housing level without some form of government assistance.

Dr Tweneboa said with the current deficit in housing facing the country, construction of 500 units was miniscule as compared to the
number required adding that GREDA members were actively working to provide housing for Ghanaians.

He said “it is at the ordinary level that the deficit is really felt and that houses for teachers, nurses, security agencies, policemen, civil servants amongst others is unavailable saying no developing country

has been able to build housing with the sole participation of the 
private sector.

Dr Tweneboa said GREDA was not the mouth piece of any political
party as had been intimated and that "GREDA members are professional businessmen and women committed to delivering houses for all Ghanaians.

He pledged the commitment of GREDA to welcome any Ghanaian or a
foreign entity that was ready to alleviate the housing plight of Ghanaians saying all they had attempted to do was to play their part in the nation’s development.

GNA