Atlanta City partners Kumasi to provide affordable housing

Accra, Jan. 12, GNA - Habitat for Humanity - Ghana has initiated a partnership agreement between the city of Atlanta in the United States and Kumasi for the provision of affordable housing and other services in the region.

Mr Emmanuel Kwaa, the National Director of Habitat for Humanity, Ghana, who announced this in Accra, said negotiations were advanced and that such partnership would demonstrate the organisation's interest in the provision of houses in urban centres.

Mr Kwaa made this known on Thursday when a delegation led by Mr Jonathan Reckford, the Chief Executive Officer of Habitat for Humanity, International, called on Mr Hackman Owusu-Agyeman, the Minister of Water Resources, Works and Housing.

He said the urban interest in housing delivery did not mean that Habitat for Humanity was drifting from the rural housing projects but rather wanted to reach also the urban dwellers.

Mr Kwaa said so far the organization has provided 4,500 affordable houses nationwide but noted that in spite of the flexible repayment system the recovery had been a major problem.

Mr Owusu-Agyeman said the government had initiated policies to make housing affordable to the ordinary Ghanaian, but noted that the pace needed to be accelerated.

He briefed the delegation about last Wednesday's ground breaking ceremony to commence construction of the 300 billion cedis' affordable flats at Batsonaa, near Tema saying "the aim is to make housing cheaper for at least young couple who have just began life."

Mr Owusu-Agyeman said the government was sourcing further funds from other international organizations to enable it extend the projects to other regional capitals.

"Where people can't afford, the flats would be rented at heavily subsidized rates. The government believes that there has to be a social element in any housing delivery," he said.

Mr Reckford assured the government that much was being done to further assist the country but noted that that would largely depend on the need to demonstrate sustainability in what was being provided.