Koomson Backs Mahama’s GH¢3bn Housing Fund, Calls For Transparency
The Secretary-General of the Ghana Federation of Labour (GFL), Abraham Koomson, has welcomed President John Dramani Mahama’s proposed GH¢3 billion National Housing Fund, but cautioned that its success will depend on transparency, accountability and effective implementation.
President Mahama has directed the Minister of Finance to allocate GH¢1 billion in the 2027 Budget as the government’s contribution towards the fund, which is expected to operate on a revolving basis to finance housing projects and improve access to affordable accommodation.
The President announced the initiative at the opening of the 2026 National Conference on Housing Finance in Accra on Wednesday, October 7.
He said the government would explore innovative financing mechanisms, including mortgage refinancing, rent-to-own schemes, employer-supported housing and partnerships with financial institutions and property developers.
Reacting to the proposal on Ahotor FM, Mr Koomson said he supported the initiative but stressed that the people and institutions responsible for implementing it must be committed to the President’s vision.
He urged President Mahama to ensure that officials entrusted with the programme understood its objectives and worked diligently and transparently to deliver the intended results.
Mr Koomson argued that previous interventions aimed at addressing Ghana’s housing challenges, including the National Rental Assistance Scheme, had not adequately resolved the problem, making it necessary for the government to adopt more effective strategies.
The labour leader proposed that housing units financed through the fund should be constructed for organised institutions and credible organisations, which would then allocate them to their members.
He suggested that the Ministry of Works and Housing or the Tema Development Corporation (TDC) could oversee the construction of such housing units on behalf of beneficiary organisations.
“The money can be given to the Works and Housing Ministry or TDC to build the buildings in the name of an organisation so they will also give it out to their members, not individuals,” he said.
According to Mr Koomson, the approach could strengthen accountability, promote fairness in the allocation of housing units and improve access for ordinary workers who struggle to secure affordable accommodation.
He maintained that allocating completed housing units through recognised institutions would provide a more structured means of addressing workers’ housing needs.
Mr Koomson cited the Saglemi Housing Project as an example of the challenges associated with Ghana’s housing delivery system.
He accused the previous New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration of allowing the project to deteriorate by failing to complete it during its eight years in office.
He argued that the experience highlighted the need for successive governments to sustain important national development projects rather than allow them to remain unfinished.
The GFL Secretary-General said completing existing housing projects and distributing the units through organised institutions could offer a practical way to reduce the accommodation difficulties facing workers.
Mr Koomson acknowledged that housing affordability was a challenge in several countries, citing the reported eviction of a woman aged over 80 in Spain.
However, he cautioned against using housing difficulties in other parts of the world to justify similar conditions in Ghana.
He argued that the existence of housing challenges elsewhere should not prevent Ghana from pursuing policies that guarantee its citizens access to decent accommodation.
Describing housing as a matter of human dignity and a fundamental human right, he stressed that adequate accommodation was also essential to national development.
He therefore urged the government and relevant stakeholders to make a deliberate effort to ensure that ordinary Ghanaian workers had a realistic opportunity to own homes.
Mr Koomson expressed confidence in President Mahama’s intentions and called on Ghanaians, particularly those responsible for implementing government policies, to support efforts to address the country’s housing deficit.
He maintained that the proposed National Housing Fund presented an important opportunity to improve access to affordable housing but warned that its success would depend on the integrity of its managers, transparency in the use of funds and the effectiveness of its implementation.
-overseeronline.com
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