Housing Deficit in Ghana

Bernard Yaw Missedja

PG7482612 SOC 570

HOUSING DEFICIT IN GHANA BY: BERNARD YAW MISSEDJA (PG7482612 SOC 570)
KNUST

SOCIAL POLICY ANALYSIS LECTURER: DR. ESME MANFUL

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Bernard Yaw Missedja

PG7482612 SOC 570

1. Introduction Man has innately an inexplicable rights bequeathed to him by the creator. Through the safe-guard and the protection of these rights, man has however harnessed science and technology to reduce the cost of living and increase the living standard of people in the society. Amongst these is the right to adequate shelter. Thus, the right to adequate housing cannot be underestimated. Housing is broadly defined to include the physical shelter and related services and infrastructure as well as the inputs such as land and finance required to produce and maintain it. Housing also covers the solutions geared towards improving the shelter and the environment in which it exist (GoG/MWRWH 2009). This broad definition of housing supports the view that when housing is reduced to shelter or living space only, dwellings tend to be built without regard to the environment and services needed to support their inhabitants (GSS 2005). Ghana is a developing country with a population of over 24million and a growth rate 2.5% (Ghana Statistical Service, 2012). And for this rate of growth, housing is recognized as one of the most important sector of the economy. Adequate housing is the base of every community. The ability of a country to address the demand for

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Bernard Yaw Missedja

PG7482612 SOC 570

housing is a significant indicator of its economic viability and its ability to protect and provide for its citizens. The document that protects the rights of Ghanaians is the 1992 Fourth Republican Constitution of Ghana which does not expressly protect the right of Ghanaians to adequate housing. On the other hand, it provides the right to own property alone or in association with others, the right of non-interference with the privacy of one’s...