Ghana Housing Crisis: UN Warns 31% of Urban Population Forced into Substandard Homes.

The United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur on the Right to Adequate Housing, Koldo Casla, has called on the Government of Ghana to provide affordable housing and regulate the formal rental market. On the closing day of his 12-day fact-finding mission to Greater Accra, Northern and Central regions, he warned that the extreme unreasonableness of formal housing in the country compels many citizens to seek shelter in substandard housing. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) released a statement on the weekend, citing the Special Rapporteur's concerns about the public housing in the country.

Mr. Casla urged the state to provide logistic and administrative support to the Rent Control Department to regulate rent control. According to his findings, over a third of Ghanaians are renters, with over 40 percent in rapidly growing municipalities. The UN human rights expert also called for strict institutional monitoring to prevent renters from facing extortionate advance rent and sudden price hikes that inflict unbearable pressure on the average family.

The view of the capital city is a complete reminder of what the Rapporteur witnessed during his visit to the country. "During the visit, I saw the housing construction and physical transformation that has been happening mainly in Accra. I saw flashy bills in the capital city promoting real estate development that is unattainable by the average Ghanaian," Mr. Casla said. He further stated that most houses built in the city are vacant, adding that his mission showed a worrying trend that wealthier urban areas are being developed for speculative purposes.

The rising number of Ghanaians living in informal settlements represents a key contributor to the country's urbanization. Approximately 31 percent of urban Ghanaians currently live in informal housing. Conservative estimates put the number of homeless people in Ghana at about 100,000, with 60,000 of them being children. In addition, many Ghanaians are threatened with eviction without consultation or compensation. The UN has directed the Ghanaian authorities to halt the persistent practice of evictions without consultation due to its violation of international law.

The Special Rapporteur called for the government to pay more attention to the needs of poor Ghanaians when developing public housing. Additionally, Mr. Casla recommended the use of sustainable and locally-sourced construction materials to reduce overhead costs and ensure affordability. The construction industry is a significant economic sector in Ghana, employing hundreds of thousands of Ghanaians and contributing between 7 and 15 percent to the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Mr. Casla concluded that the state's success in protecting the working class will be measured by this commitment. A complete report will be presented to the UN Human Rights Council in March 2027.