The Minister for Works and Housing, Francis Asenso-Boakye, has paid a working visit to the Tamale affordable housing project site.
The project will see the construction of 100 units of low-cost houses for low-income earners at Lahagu in the Tamale Metropolis.
The project land was acquired in 2006 and construction started between 2007 and 2008 by former President J. A. Kufour but was abandoned in 2009.
Currently, there are 8 structures at various stages of completion in various cities across the country.
Mr. Asenso-Boakye, after inspecting the project said the government has started working with the private sector to develop affordable housing projects where the government is subsidizing about 20 per cent of the construction cost to truly make it affordable for the people.
According to him, the government is also working with the various banks in the country so that individuals who are on government payroll can buy the houses using their salaries as a mortgage for some time.
The Minister indicated that the visit has given him a better understanding of the state of the Tamale Affordable housing project and what the government can do to complete the project.
“ The people of the Northern region are looking forward to the government to continue with this project and we will do everything possible to ensure that the project is commenced as soon as possible.”
He called on the leadership of the region and the chiefs to help preserve the rest of the land left on the site so that the land will be used for the purpose for which it was acquired.
Head of Business Development, State Housing Company Limited, Isaac Mensah, said in 2020 the Ministry of Works and Housing handed the project to State Housing Company Ltd. to complete.
He, however, lamented about the encroachment of the project site noting that the land allocated for the Tamale affordable housing project was about 261 acres but due to encroachment and that after visibility exercise the land left is about 94 acres.
“We are currently working with the chiefs and land commission to see how best we can maintain the land left so we can commence work on the site.”
He also inspected some statehouses in the Tamale metropolis.
FROM Eric Kombat, Tamale