ACCRA, Ghana, 7th October: President John Dramani Mahama has proposed that Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies invest part of their internally generated funds and Common Fund allocations into rental housing.
He said the initiative could provide accommodation for public servants posted to various districts while also creating an additional revenue stream for the assemblies.
Speaking at the National Conference on Housing Finance in Accra on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, President Mahama said district assemblies must be encouraged to explore innovative approaches to housing finance.
He proposed that assemblies invest in rental properties that could accommodate workers posted to their jurisdictions.
“It will help to increase their IGFs, and so persons who are posted to the district can get an apartment, two bedrooms to rent, live there and pay the rental to the district assembly,” he said.
President Mahama said such an arrangement would create a sustainable housing model while helping assemblies generate additional internally generated funds.
He said Ghana’s housing challenge required stakeholders to move beyond conventional approaches and consider a range of financing options.
“We need to think about all the different kinds of options that are available to us,” he said.
The President noted that affordable rental housing was particularly important for young people and workers who may not immediately have the financial capacity to purchase homes.
He said housing policies must provide different options depending on the circumstances of households, including mortgages, rent-to-own arrangements, secure rental accommodation, incremental housing finance and social housing.
President Mahama also announced the proposed “Easy Rent” initiative under which the National Housing Fund would pay rent advances for eligible workers, with beneficiaries repaying the amount monthly.
He said the initiative would help reduce the financial burden associated with the substantial rent advances many Ghanaian households are required to pay.
The President said adequate housing must ultimately be measured by whether ordinary Ghanaians can access homes that are safe, affordable and connected to essential services.
Story by: Emmanuel Romeo Tetteh(#RomeoWrites✍️)/ Presidential Affairs Correspondent | Ghana 🇬🇭