Ministry seeks alternative solutions to housing challenges

The Ministry of Water Resources Works and Housing says it would continue to explore alternative solutions and new methods for solving the country’s housing crisis.

Speaking at the 34th Annual General Meeting of Shelter Afrique, Dr Kwaku Agyeman-Mensah, the sector minister said the housing problem would be solved by large scale projects.

“It also true that we cannot approach the same problems with the same tried solutions and expect different results. All over the continent as we see democratic practice entrenched, we also expect a rapid shift in demographic and urbanisation trends,” he said.

Shelter Afrique is a Pan African financial institution that seeks to improve the lives of people.

The Minister said housing is a priority of the government hence the effort to review the Rent Act for it to be more effective and offer additional protection to the tenant from arbitrary rent increases.

“Above all, the key to delivering the benefits of housing, be it rented, home ownership or mortgage facilities is a partnership between government and the private sector but very often one party has tried to do it alone leading to frustrations and delay in development,” he said.

Dr Agyeman-Mensah said Ghana has benefited a great deal since becoming a member of Shelter Afrique, adding that there is room to do more.

The Minister was elected as the Chairman of the annual general meeting.