The government has begun the construction of District Housing to address housing deficits in districts across the country.
The piloting phase, which began in the Volta Region, is spearheaded by the Volta Regional Coordinating Council, with 115 housing units across six sites in the North and Central Tongu Districts.
The Minister for Works and Housing, Mr Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, who disclosed at a press briefing in Accra on Monday, stated that the pilot phase, apart from bridging the housing deficits, is also focused on areas affected by the 2023 Akosombo Dam spillage.
The spillage impacted 19 districts in four regions, displacing 27,000 people and damaging farmlands, schools and healthcare facilities.
Mr Nkrumah explained that the Ministry has completed a verification exercise, confirming a total of 2,225 housing units for construction.
‘The total construction cost for the resettlement programme in the 19 districts is estimated at GH₵600,000,000.00,” he added.
He stated that the government allocated GH₵200,000,000.00 towards this project in the 2024 fiscal year, adding that the Ministry has requested an additional GH₵400,000,000.00 to meet the total funding requirement to ensure timely completion,
Following the current phase, the Minister announced that Phase II of the construction is set to begin soon, with an additional 1,010 housing units scheduled for the most affected districts.
To ensure the project’s success, the Ministry has engaged Architecture and Engineering Services Limited (AESL) as a consultant.
Additionally, the Land Use and Spatial Planning Authority (LUSPA) has completed the preparation of local plans and submitted a draft to the Ministry.
Mr Nkrumah emphasised that this housing programme is part of a comprehensive plan to provide housing solutions for public sector workers in rural communities, including nurses, teachers, police officers, doctors and District Assembly workers.
He added that the Ministry is collaborating with traditional authorities and MMDAs to secure unencumbered land for these developments.
Margaret Adjeley Sowah, ISD
