Collins Dauda inaugurates State Housing Board
A seven-member Board of Directors of the State Housing Company (SHC) has been sworn in, with the task to source for private capital to support national efforts at addressing the housing deficit.
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It is estimated that Ghana has a deficit in excess of 1.7 million housing units.
The board is under the chairmanship of Mr Ebenezer Kobina Fosu.
Other members include Mr Seth Stephen Fiati, Mr Kojo Owusu Agyeman and Alhaji Hameed Yaya Yakubu.
The rest are Mr Kwame Anno-Kumi, Mr Emmanuel Jack Animi and Mr Micheal Prince Asante Akuffo.
Swearing in the board in Accra yesterday, the Minister of Water Resources, Works and Housing, Alhaji Collins Dauda, charged members to institute measures that would attract private housing investors to partner the government in its quest to provide affordable houses for the people.
He expressed the hope that with good private partners, the company would be able to fulfil its mandate of providing homes at affordable prices to reduce the national housing deficit.
That, he said, would mean the board operating by President John Dramani Mahama’s guiding principle to all ministries, departments and agencies to think outside the box to increase internally generated funds through private-public partnerships.
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Consider urban renewal
Alhaji Dauda also called on the board to consider urban renewal programmes to facilitate the provision of more and affordable houses.
“Many of the estates developed by the company years ago are sitting on huge acres of land in very prime areas in various cities which could be redeveloped to provide more homes to reduce the housing deficit,” he added.
According to him, such a redevelopment agenda would require the board taking very bold and committed decisions which would not only help address the housing deficit but also beautify the cities.
He assured the board and the SHC of the government’s support for every proactive initiative that they would undertake.
“We will not take any more excuses, with all due respect. All we want are results, which means more houses,” he said.
Chairman’s remarks
In his remarks, Mr Fosu expressed gratitude to the President for the confidence he had reposed in the members.
Describing the housing deficit and the current state of the company as worrying, he expressed the board’s commitment to produce results.
Writer’s email Doreen.andoh @graphic.com.gh