The Works and Housing Committee of Parliament has commended the State Housing Company (SHC) Limited for its innovative efforts in addressing the Housing deficit in Ghana.
Mr Isaac Kwame Asiamah, Chairman of the Committee commended SHC on Thursday at the end of a day’s tour of some housing projects being undertaken by the company in the Adenta Municipality of the Greater Accra Region.
The members of the Committee, which inspected the level of progress at the various facilities, were conducted around by Mr Kwabena Ampofo Appiah, the Managing Director of SHC Ltd.
The facilities visited include Little London (or SHC Gardens), Urban Premier Court and Legacy Court, all at Adenta and the Surge Homes at Amrahia in the Adenta Municipality.
Mr Asiamah said the Committee was impressed at the level of progress at the various housing facilities visited.
He said in recent years prices of building materials such as cement and iron rods had been escalating because of global issues.
So, if you have a state agency that is trying its best within these circumstances to provide decent accommodations for our people we must commend them,” Mr Asiamah said.
“SHC, some years ago nearly collapsed, you know it, it nearly collapsed, so if we have a new leadership at the State Housing Company and they are providing this kind of leadership to ensure that we have enough accommodations we should commend them.”
Mr Asiamah said the housing deficit in Ghana was in excess of about two million; declaring that “We have a huge challenge to provide accommodations for our people”.
He further commended the Government for creating the enabling environment and the necessary support to enable the SHC fulfil its mandate of providing housing for the people.
He said the MPs were, however, concerned about the cost of the housing units and that it was obvious that not everyone could afford them.
“We must admit that even the middle class will struggle to afford, but at least so far as an attempt has been made to ensure that some people can have decent places, we can still explore other areas; so that those that we need to also meet their demands, those are also addressed holistically,” he said.
“We are concerned about the vulnerable people, because they are in the majority, so we must speak for them, we must address their concerns.”
Mr Vincent Oppong Asamoah, the Ranking Member of the Works and Housing Committee of Parliament, said the housing facilities visited were highly commendable.
Mr Ampofo Appiah on his part, said although the company relied heavily on its internally generated funds to execute housing projects, it’s prices could beat any competition in the real estate industry.
“Our prices remain very competitive in the face of rising cost of building materials. It would be very difficult for any company to neat us to our prices”, he told a section of the media.
