Akufo-Addo cuts sod for Appolonia's $45,000 starting price houses
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has cut the sod for the construction of 2,000 affordable housing units at Appolonia City, near Oyibi in the Greater Accra Region.
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The construction of the first 100 houses is scheduled to begin right after the sod-cutting ceremony. Prices for the housing units start from USD$45,000.
The project, to be developed on a 160-acre land, is a joint venture between the Ghana Home Loans Company and Appolonia City, a private entity.
Delivering an address prior to the sod-cutting, President Akufo-Addo said the project was in line with the government’s vision of using an appropriate mix of public policy and private-public investment to deliver quality housing that met the needs and financial capacity of the ordinary Ghanaian.
Housing situation
He said the government recognised the dream of every Ghanaian to own a home or, failing that, the need for decent rental accommodation.
He said with a housing deficit of over 1.7 million units, the Appolonia City project was one of the many initiatives to be introduced along the housing value chain to achieve a cost-effective, efficient and sustainable housing sector.
He said it was heart-warming that Appolonia itself was a shareholder in the project and described it as a laudable initiative worthy of emulation by other areas.
“It is a model I want to encourage everyone to emulate,” he emphasised.
President Akufo-Addo said the government was a natural cheerleader for the private sector and pledged that “we shall do all we can to provide the enabling environment for the private sector to flourish in Ghana”.
In that regard, he gave an assurance that the sector minister would work with the project owners to address any challenge that might come up.
On the part of the project owners, the President expressed the hope that they would also play by the rules of the sector and the country as a whole.
“We are on the threshold of something remarkable in Ghana and I am pleased that we have those involved in the Appolonia City project as partners in our country’s exciting journey,” he said.
Agenda setting
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Appolonia City, Mr Bright Owusu-Amofah, said the partnership between Appolonia City and Ghana Home Loans would contribute to improving the housing sector, noting that Appolonia City was setting the agenda for world-class infrastructure development in the country’s urban communities.
He said the company was in discussions with the government to be granted a special economic zone status, adding that would assist in growing that key area of the Greater Accra Region.
He said the expansion of the Adenta-Dodowa road would not only be a great economic driver for the area but also make for greater ease for the transportation of goods from Tema to Accra and the rest of the country.
The CEO of Rendeavour, contractors for the project, Mr Stephen Jennings, said the first 100 houses would be completed within 18 months.
He said the collaboration with Ghana Home Loans was an affirmation of Rendeavour’s commitment to build an inclusive new city for all income levels.
“The partnership between Appolonia City and Ghana Home Loans is more than a business transaction. It is one of many steps we have taken and will continue to take to contribute to the improvement of the housing sector in Ghana, as together, we build the future of urban living in this great country,” he added.
Benefits
The Chief of Appolonia, Nii Nuertey Amobi II, said since the inception of the project, the partners had proved their commitment to the development of the community.
He said there had been an upgrade of the community-based health planning and services (CHPS) compound into a National Health Insurance Scheme-accredited health centre, while the junior high school block had been refurbished, in addition to free health screening and community clean-up exercises, among others.
He added that the housing project was also creating jobs for the youth.
“Mr President, you made your intentions clear on the war against galamsey, vigilantism and ‘landguardism’. Let me take this opportunity to thank you for supporting high-impact projects such as this, as well as the investment it brings to our community,” Nii Nuertey said.
Writer’s email: [email protected]
