The Minister of Works and Housing, Francis Asenso-Boakye (MP), has expressed optimism that the implementation of the new National Rent Assistance Scheme (NRAS), which is intended to support deserving households, especially the youth, to access decent rental accommodation and effectively protect them from undue exploitation from home owners, will go a long way toward further reducing the housing deficit, which currently stands at 1.8 million housing units.
The NRAS is intended to help support deserving households, especially youth.
According to the Minister of the sector, the scheme was implemented as a response to the widespread public outcry against years of rent advance payment, which has become a significant obstacle for the majority of Ghanaians, particularly those who live in metropolitan areas.
Hon. Asenso-Boakye urged Ghanaians to join the government in educating the public about the scheme, adding that Ghanaians who are qualified to apply can do so by visiting the National Registration and Authentication Service website (www.nras.gov.gh).
Asenso-Boakye, while delivering the keynote address at the commissioning of phase 1 of the SUCASA O’GRANTSON residential community in Accra, indicated that the current housing deficit requires people-centered interventions and mechanisms to ensure that not only are rental accommodations accessible but also affordable to deserving households.
Asenso-Boakye added that this will be pivotal in effectively protecting low-to-middle income earners from undue exploitation by home owners while deliquefying the housing crisis in Ghana.
Asenso-Boakye explained other mechanisms that are being implemented to provide the necessary infrastructure to bridge the housing deficit.
Asenso-Boakye stated that the Ministry’s adopted strategy is to leverage the resources, experiences, and expertise of the private sector, while the government provides the desired environment to attract private sector investments into the housing sector. He was explaining other mechanisms that are being implemented.
“The Ministry is in constant engagement with domestic partners and developers, in addition to foreign partners and developers, on the topic of possible collaborations to reduce the housing deficit, create an opportunity to promote continuous growth and development in the construction and housing industries,” the Minister went on to say.
Asenso-Boakye stated that one of the primary focuses of the Ministry is to review and enact legislation that will be able to address institutional gaps and create the appropriate platform for best practices.
Asenso-Boakye did this while providing an overview of some of the initiatives that are currently being undertaken by the government to transform the housing industry.
Asenso-Boakye mentioned the desire of the ministry to form the Ghana Housing Authority with the purpose of regulating, planning, and managing housing developments in partnership with developers from the private sector.