Freda Prempeh (second left) opening the estate
Deputy Minister of Works and Housing, Freda Prempeh, has commissioned Summerhills Estates at East Legon, a suburb of Accra.
Speaking at the ceremony recently, the Deputy Minister stressed the need for real estate developers to partner the government to bridge the country’s 1.7 million housing deficit.
According to her, government was providing solutions to address the housing deficit, but it behooves the private sector players to partner it.
“Urban growth is contributing largely to the deficit in the country’s housing sector and the number of slum dwellers will reach seven million by 2025 if measures are not taken to solve urban poverty, she added.
In her opinion, the housing industry is capital intensive and government alone cannot shoulder the responsibility of providing houses to all.
The Deputy Minister added “that is where the private sector is needed so what government is seeking to do is create an enabling environment for the private sector to grow and partner government in such enterprises.”
She gave assurance that government would ensure that all estates, both existing and new ones, are energy efficient and that in the future all housing units would need energy certificates.
She challenged all developers to find new ways of building so as to reduce cost which would make the estates affordable for the ordinary Ghanaian.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Summerhills Estates, Dr. George Obeng, said “the new estate is a place where one can call home, a place where there is absolute security, comfort and peace.”
According to him, the company decided to lessen the plight of tenants who pay huge rent by building the estates which come with air conditioners, free water, electricity and DSTV Bills.
About Summerhills
Summerhills Estates is a subsidiary of Nananom Group of Companies in Canada which was established in 2006.
In 2013, the idea to establish the company was mooted when the CEO faced challenges in paying two years advance for his grandmother in Ghana.
By Melvin Tarlue