The National Homeownership Fund (NHF), in partnership with government agencies and development partners, is set to convene a national housing finance conference aimed at unlocking new sources of capital and financing models to expand Ghana’s housing market.
The two-day conference, scheduled for October 7 and 8, 2026, will bring together policymakers, financial institutions, developers, investors, technology providers and development partners to identify practical solutions to the financing constraints limiting housing supply and homeownership.
Mr Prosper Hoetu, Chief Executive Officer of the NHF, told the media that the conference would focus on structural challenges preventing low- and middle-income households from accessing affordable housing, while creating opportunities for greater private-sector participation in housing delivery.
The conference will be held as part of activities to commemorate World Habitat Day.
Housing Deficit Creates Investment Opportunity
Ghana’s housing deficit was estimated at approximately 1.8 million units in the 2024 Ghana Housing Profile, with more than 30 percent of the existing housing stock considered inadequate.
Mr Hoetu said the scale of the deficit demonstrated the need for increased investment in housing construction and the development of financial products capable of matching the income profiles of households.
He said only about five per cent of Ghanaians could independently afford a home, while 60 percent required some form of government assistance and another 35 percent required social housing.
The situation, he said, was compounded by limited access to long-term finance, high interest rates, short loan repayment periods and inefficiencies in land administration and housing delivery.
Mortgage Market Remains Underdeveloped
Mr Hoetu said Ghana’s mortgage-to-GDP ratio remained below 0.3 percent, reflecting the limited role of formal mortgage finance in the housing market.
Mortgage interest rates, which often exceeded 30 percent, also made formal housing finance largely inaccessible to many low- and middle-income households.
He said the conference would therefore seek to catalyse a fundamental shift in the way housing finance was structured, delivered and sustained in Ghana and across Africa.
Key discussions would include measures to reduce mortgage rates, extend loan tenures, develop local-currency mortgage products, expand financing for informal-sector workers and attract long-term domestic and international capital into the housing market.
Financing Construction And Green Housing
The conference would also examine financing challenges confronting housing developers, including high borrowing costs, limited access to long-term capital, difficulties with land titling and perceived risks associated with housing projects.
Mr Hoetu said addressing those constraints was critical to increasing housing supply, stimulating construction activity and creating opportunities across related industries.
Four thematic panel discussions would focus on mortgage financing, construction financing, climate and green housing, and informal and social housing.
The event would also explore ways of integrating climate resilience and green building standards into affordable housing finance, potentially creating new opportunities for financial institutions and developers to develop climate-friendly housing products.
Mobilising Private Capital
Mr Hoetu said the conference would seek high-level political support for housing finance reforms, generate actionable recommendations and facilitate financing agreements between key stakeholders.
An exhibition would provide financial institutions, developers, technology companies and development partners with an opportunity to showcase housing finance products, green building technologies and affordable housing projects.
He said the expected outcomes included a communiqué containing shared commitments, new or revised affordable housing loan products and the establishment of a technical working group on green affordable housing finance.
The conference would also develop a roadmap for operationalising the NHF’s homebuyer database and offtake guarantee framework, with a follow-up review scheduled for the first quarter of 2027.
Mr Hoetu said the broader objective was to create a more sustainable housing finance ecosystem capable of mobilising long-term capital, supporting developers and expanding access to homeownership for households currently excluded from formal housing finance.
