From biblical days, the essence of social housing was very dear to the people. Beyond Scriptures, shelter was part of the three necessities of life, the other two being food and clothing.
The oft-repeated biblical text promises “everyone a place to rest, a right to ownership, safety, and abundance.” This asserts that everyone has the right to a place called home.
Thus our governments from the colonial era to the present have been struggling to provide roofs over the heads of the people. The housing challenge has become one not only for the government but the citizens as well.
We live in a country where the authorities have lost the power to bring landlords and landladies under the control of the law, leaving house owners to run riot to such an extent that homelessness is becoming the norm. There is a Rent Act that appears to have outlived its usefulness as house owners who are mandated to charge six months rent advance do so in most cases for two years without paying taxes on such earnings to the government.
The situation has rendered most people helpless in their attempts to get a decent roof for themselves and families. The consequences are seen in the uncontrolled erection of brick and mortar even at places earmarked for public amenities.
The desire of every Tom, Dick and Harry to get their own homes has led to the multiple sale of land by landowners and chiefs in most parts of the country, especially Accra.
Another dangerous offshoot of the multiple sale of land is the phenomenon of “land guards” who terrorise legitimate owners of land that they sacrificed to buy to secure a roof over their heads.
In an effort to address the social housing needs of the people, successive governments have tried to provide affordable houses across the country using various schemes.
The State Housing Company and the Tema Development Corporation led the charge at a certain stage in our national history, but at certain times they were overwhelmed by the demand and cash flow to execute their mandate.
The Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) in the 1980s made an attempt to provide affordable housing across the length and breadth of the country. This venture, using the contributions of workers, turned out not to be a profitable enterprise, compelling the Trust to discontinue the project.
Apart from the inability of the Trust to collect rent from its tenants, the attempt to sell these properties defeated the rationale for affordable housing as majority of the workers were left “stranded.”
The project became a drain on the investments of the SSNIT, and for which reason affordable housing is no longer in the lexicon of the Trust.