By Godwill Arthur- Mensah
Accra, Oct. 01, GNA–The Government has spent approximately GHc30.4 million in implementing the Rental Assistance Scheme rolled out on January 31,2023.
The Scheme has benefitted 2,336 individuals so far, Mr Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, the Minister of Works and Housing, announced this during the Minister’s news briefing in Accra.
Under the Scheme, the government makes an advance payment for applicants who are renewing, renting a room/apartment or a complete house. The applicant will, therefore, repay the monthly rent to match the tenure of the rent.
The briefing focused on government’s efforts to resolving the stalled housing projects, develop public private partnership framework with incentives to close the housing deficit, ensure sustainable financing for housing projects, fast-track the completion of affordable housing projects and securing and growing land banks.
The minister highlighted some of the priority affordable housing projects the Ministry had tackled to close the housing deficit in the country.
He mentioned the 8,000 housing units under the Pokuase-Afiaman Housing Project, 5,000 Saglemi Housing Project, of which 1,506 were partially completed, 342 units of houses under the Koforidua Affordable Housing Project, 1,904 housing units under the Tema Development Company (TDC), of which 1,072 completed, and the ongoing 609 housing units for public sector workers, which would be ready in October, this year, for distribution to interested applicants.
“This government remains steadfast in its commitment to providing decent, safe, secure and affordable housing for all its citizens,” Mr Oppong Nkrumah assured.
According to Population and Housing Census data, Ghana’s housing deficit has significantly decreased from 2.8 million in 2010 to 1.8 million in 2021, representing a 33 per cent reduction.
GNA