President John Dramani Mahama has unveiled a sweeping housing and urban development agenda, committing significant public funding to address Ghana’s housing deficit while announcing plans to upgrade Ho in the Volta region to metropolitan status.
Speaking in Ho during the sod-cutting ceremony for the Oxygen City project, the President said government will invest GH¢1.5 billion in district housing and the Own-a-Home scheme over a three-year period, beginning in 2026. Under the plan, GH¢500 million will be allocated annually from 2026 to 2028 to expand access to affordable housing for Ghanaian workers.
Housing, he said, is a central pillar of government’s reset agenda and a key measure of national progress. Decent and affordable homes, he noted, are essential to human dignity, economic productivity and social stability, and must be delivered alongside supporting infrastructure such as roads, water, sanitation, healthcare and schools.
The programme will target teachers, nurses, doctors, civil servants and other public sector employees. Beneficiaries will be required to pay a 25 % deposit, with the balance spread over 15 to 20 years through monthly salary deductions. The President said the houses will be priced in cedis rather than dollars, a move aimed at shielding workers from exchange-rate volatility and improving long-term affordability.
Beyond housing finance, the President announced a major administrative upgrade for the Volta Region, directing the Minister for Local Government to initiate processes to elevate Ho to metropolitan status. Ho and Hohoe, he said, have been identified for the upgrade, with additional districts expected to be elevated to municipal status in due course.
The President said the government remains committed to balanced regional development, stressing that growth must be equitable and purposeful rather than concentrated in a few urban centres. He said reforms will continue in land administration, housing finance and public-private partnerships to support planned and transparent urban development.
The President said the goal is to make integrated, well-planned communities the standard across the country, rather than isolated examples, as government works to expand access to dignified housing nationwide.
