Kandifo Institute, a youth-oriented and policy think tank organisation, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Halzebatz SARL and Shelta Space for the Ghana Innovative Housing Project (GIHP).

The collaboration between the trio organisations, seeks to implement extensive alternative relatively affordable and environmentally friendly housing project as part of efforts to address the housing deficit in Ghana and across Africa.

Mr Palgrave Boakye-Danquah, the Executive Director, Kandifo Institute, said the high rate of urbanisation across the world had led to the increased demand for good and affordable housing.

He said as part of the 17 interlinked global goals or the Sustainable Development Goals designed to be a "blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all", Goal 11 seeks to make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable and this was why it was necessary for all and sundry to start engaging in innovative housing projects.

"As a youth-oriented and policy think tank which advocates in a very practical way, influencing policies that facilitate and sustain conservatism as a guided ideology of preference and an institute believes that through our research, national policy dialogues, private sector development and developing a productive youth, we will shape and nurture the destiny of Ghana," Mr Boagye-Danquah stated.

He said the GIHP seeks to be the game changer in "affordable housing" in the country because most regular houses tagged "affordable housing" were not affordable to the average person.

"...Kandifo Institute as a think tank with ready access to over a million young people in Ghana on this day is signing a strategic accord to formulate the first working and affordable housing policy in Ghana where affordable means affordable in reality and not just on paper."

He acknowledged that both past and present governments had through numerous policies and initiatives had made efforts to bring or balance the gap in the housing supply and demand.

Mr Aaron Boakye-Danquah, Business Developer, Hazebalt SARL, in his virtual address to the meeting, said the project would go a long way in contributing to ensure that the average Ghanaian had a good place to live in.

Mr Zuhur Ahmed Mohayideen, Chief Operating Officer, Shelta Space, said affordable housing programmes in urban cities of Ghana over the years had still not been so accessible to the otherwise intended low to middle income families for varying reasons.

"Thus, the housing deficit continues to be around two million with an average annual housing need of about 133,000 influenced by an average urban growth rate of three per cent per annum between 2000-2030," he said.

"With these projections, the urban population in the country is expected to increase by 65 per cent by 2030 which will further exacerbate the demand for housing in the country."

He said with such figures, the housing deficit was expected to exceed 4.2 million by 2030; adding, that for such alarming figures, proactive measures were prudent to stem the potential housing catastrophe that looms in the nation's cities.

He said one could not emphasize enough the need for decent housing for each and every Ghanaian as it was but a basic social need yet still eludes tens of thousands of well deserving Ghanaians.

He said the collaboration between the two organisations sought to ameliorate the housing deficit in the country by providing alternative ways of building powered by technology mostly known as modular housing or otherwise prefabs.

Mr Romeo Djan, Chief Executive Officer, Goldhaus Construction limited, who chaired the function, in a virtual message urged the trio organisations, which signed the MoUs to collaborate with the Government in acquisition of lands for the execution of the project.