As part of its oversight mandate to ensure the delivery of affordable housing to Ghanaians, the Parliamentary Committee on Works and Housing has undertaken a working visit to inspect the progress of three major housing projects: the Pokuase Affordable Housing Project, Surge Homes at Amrahia, and Executive Homes at Adenta.
Led by its Chairman, Hon. Vincent Asamoah, the Committee engaged with officials from the State Housing Company (SHC) during the inspection tour to assess the current state of the projects and the challenges impeding their completion.
At the Pokuase Affordable Housing site, the Committee was briefed by the Managing Director of SHC, Mr John Bawa, who revealed that 40 acres of land had been allocated for the development of approximately 1,600 housing units, comprising two- and three-bedroom homes. However, he disclosed that the project is less than 20% complete due to inadequate funding.
The stalled progress has resulted in the site being misused as an illegal waste dump, further complicating construction efforts. “We urgently need additional funding to clear the waste and resume work,” Mr Bawa stated. He also highlighted poor road access as a major setback, noting that the road network was to be provided by the government.
In addition, Mr Bawa revealed that some buyers who had made advance payments for homes are now demanding refunds due to delays in completion.
The Committee then visited Surge Homes at Amrahia, also under the supervision of the SHC. Compared to the Pokuase project, the Surge development has made relatively better progress. Of the 196 housing units planned, 154 are approximately 80% complete, with about 100 already in the process of being sold.
The gated estate includes two-, three-, and four-bedroom units, with prices starting from GHC950,000. Despite the progress, the project also faces challenges, including poor road infrastructure, limited funding, and unresolved land acquisition issues which temporarily halted construction.
The final stop was at Executive Homes in Adenta. This project, which began nearly 15 years ago, comprises four-storey apartment buildings with two-bedroom units on the lower floors and one-bedroom units on the upper levels.
Although the apartments are 90% complete, construction has stalled due to persistent funding constraints.
Commenting after the visits, Vincent Asamoah, commended the development at Amrahia for its advanced stage and quality of work.
However, he expressed serious concern over the slow pace at Pokuase and Adenta. He assured the media that the government is committed to addressing the financial and infrastructural challenges, with a promise to ensure completion of the projects by the end of the year.