State Housing Company denies allegation

The State Housing Company (SHC) has denied reports that it had not reached an agreement with its tenants before embarking on the Regeneration Project to provide more housing units.

It said the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed between SHC and the Resident Association of Kanda, Laterbiokoshie and Kaneshie (KALAKAN) together with some Members of Parliament (MP) and assembly members before starting the project.

Mrs. Grace Firempong, Public Affairs and Communication Manager of SHC, told the Ghana News Agency in an interview that she was shocked to hear that some residents of Kaneshie were protesting against project.

She said signing of the MOU was the final process of consultation between the residents, the MPs and assembly members about the Regeneration Project since March 2010.

Mrs. Firempong said the company opened up for feedback from residents, as executives of the resident association were encouraged to regularly report to the tenants about agreements reached and to report back to SHC.

She said the SHC had discussions with the executives of KALAKAN and distributed questionnaires to the residents after which the questionnaires were analysed to see the viability of the project in terms of concerns of residents.

Mrs. Firempong said terms of the MOU stated that residents of Kaneshie would not be affected during the project; hence there was no cause for alarm.

However, she said, the company would take sole responsibility for relocating houses at Kanda and Laterbiokorshie who would be affected and that SHC would make the necessary provision to ensure maximum satisfaction for its residents and any other person to be affected by the exercise.

Mr. Joe Lartey, President of Resident Association of Kanda, Laterbiokoshie and Kaneshie (KALAKAN), signed the MOU for the residents while Dr. Mark Nii Akwei Ankrah, Managing Director of SHC, signed for the company.**