TDC takes possession of four block apartments within the Kaiser Flats
THE Tema Development Corporation (TDC) has taken possession of four block apartments within the Kaiser Flats at Tema Community Four, following a Tema High Court’s ruling in their favour..
The declaration of the blocks as uninhabitable, have subsequently paved the way for the demolition of the flats for redevelopment. The Managing Director of TDC, Mr Joe Abbey disclosed this at the company’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) held in Tema today.
“The court case between the corporation and squatters who have occupied four blocks of the flats at Community Four in Tema has been declared in favour of the Corporation”, Mr Abbey announced.
“With this hurdle cleared, we have taking possession for demolition to pave way for kick-starting the mainstream redevelopment programme”, he added.
Regularisation of Tenancy
Mr Abbey further indicated that the Corporation have begun processes of regularising the tenancy of squatters in heavily encroached communities.
The project, which he notes begun in 2009 have seen various layouts being prepared and as such saw occupants of some 1,700 in ten communities being beneficiaries. Sadly, he noted majority of occupants have failed to pay ground rents and land management fees in spite of repeated calls.
“This means that majority of encroachers who built houses without permit continue to occupy public lands for free, thus depriving the State of legitimate revenue”, Mr Abbey bewail. That, notwithstanding, he intimated that, the Corporation has developed strategies aimed to prevent further unauthorized development in order to restore sanity in its acquisition areas.
Affordable Housing
Mr Abbey also announced that the 12 blocks of the 24 affordable housing building at Kpone which was handed over to the Corporation to complete would be ready for habitation by the first quarter of 2015.
He also hinted that the a seven block terrace housing unit containing 28 apartments being constructed at Community 23, to resettle squatters displaced by the construction of a link road from the Community 24 site to the Tema motorway would also be ready for habitation within the same period. “The first 16 apartments which have since been completed would soon be handed over to the displaced residents”, Mr Abbey gave an indication.
Industry Conditions
The Chairman of the Corporation’s Board, Mr Emmanuel Adjetey regretted that the high cost of financing estate development have seen the low income earners being left out of house ownership schemes.
“Exorbitant interest on commercial loans for housing have seen offshore customers and non-resident Ghanaians becoming the determinants of rent rates on housing in the country”, Mr Adjetey deplore.
The demand for offshore customer base, he intimated was dampened by the adverse economic situation in the country.
He therefore called for concerted efforts from stakeholders to ensure low income earners were not priced out of the housing sector.
A Director of Housing at the Housing Ministry, Alhaji Yahaya Yakubu called for an overall restructuring of the housing sector.
According to him, while the private estate sector was making strides, there is the need to factor in the housing needs of the vulnerable.
“The role of TDC in this regard is therefore vital and would need public support towards ensuring the availability of affordable housing for that segment of the population”, Alhaji Yakubu stressed.
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