Tamale Housing project starts

Work has started on the construction of 200 two-bedroom expandable housing units in the Tamale metropolis.

The GH¢3-million project, expected to be completed within a six-month period, forms part of the Social Housing Project under the Community-Led Infrastructure Financing Facility (CLIFF) of the Water and Sanitation for Africa (WSA).

Beneficiaries of the houses will be required to make an upfront interest-free commitment payment of 20 per cent of the total cost, while the rest will be spread over five years at an interest rate of 18 per cent. 

A UK-based organisation, Homeless International, is funding the project.

Sod-cutting

At a sod-cutting ceremony at the project site at Lahagu in Tamale yesterday, a representative of the WSA, Ms Destina Samani, said the project was the first of its kind by her organisation in the country.

“I hope that Tamale will serve as the pacesetter for more to follow,” she said

Ms Samani explained that apart from the initial 200 units, there would be an additional 1,000 per year for the next four years.

According to her, “the government is subsidising the project with the provision of land, access roads and utilities to the site to keep the cost within the reach of people in the lower income bracket”.

She further indicated that her outfit was working in collaboration with the Tamale Metropolitan Assembly (TaMA) and the Tamale Community Co-operative Credit Union (TCCCU) to ensure the successful completion of the scheme.

Tamale Mayor

The Metropolitan Chief Executive of Tamale, Mr Abdul-Hanan Gundadow, commended the chiefs and people of the area for readily making the land available for the take-off of the project.

He indicated that the scheme was being extended to the metropolis at a time when there was increasing desire among the people to own their own homes.

He entreated the contractors to give priority to the indigenes of the area when recruiting workers.