Ghana’s President Unveils Ambitious National Housing Programme to Reduce Rental Costs and Boost Home Ownership

President John Dramani Mahama has unveiled a sweeping national housing programme designed to boost the country’s housing stock, expand affordable homeownership and ease the pressure of high rent advances on Ghanaian families.

The plan, which will be tabled in Parliament by Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson during the 2027 budget address, aims to increase the supply of decent and affordable housing across the nation.

During a site visit to the Saglemi Affordable Housing project, the President stressed that a sustainable, long‑term government intervention is essential to solving Ghana’s urban housing crisis.

He explained that expanding social housing will relieve the rental market and drive down accommodation costs nationwide.

Under the District Housing Scheme, a GHS 500 million allocation in the 2026 budget will be administered by the Ministry of Works, Housing and Water Resources, with construction of new residential units in selected districts slated to begin before the end of the year.

The initiative is part of a four‑year roadmap intended to ensure equitable housing access in all regions.

President Mahama also pointed out that existing rent laws cap advance payments at six months, but enforcement is weak; many tenants refrain from reporting landlords because of the severe housing deficit, so the government will prioritise supply‑side expansion.

In partnership with the financial sector, several banks and the Home Ownership Fund will introduce tailored mortgage products with low interest rates to make homeownership more attainable.

An update on the Saglemi estate indicates that developer LMI Holdings expects the first 700 units to be completed and put on the market by March 2027, with the remaining 800 units to follow by December 2027. The development will include one‑ to three‑bedroom apartments and townhouses, with 40 percent of the units heavily subsidised for low‑income earners.

Reflecting on the project’s history, the President recalled that the scheme began under the late President John Evans Atta Mills and was continued during his own previous term, but political turnover led to a suspension and subsequent looting of site assets such as electrical cables, washbasins and telecommunications equipment.

Chief Executive Officer Kofi Aduhene of LMI Group assured the President that all required machinery, equipment and logistics are in place to meet the targeted completion dates.