Tasked by the government to salvage the stalled $200 million Saglemi Housing Project, Quarm-LMI Consortium, has pledged to deliver over 1,500 housing units within 400 days. These homes will be made available for public purchase upon completion.
Kofi Adabor Ofori-Amanfo, Managing Director of the consortium said that the team will conduct structural integrity tests on the abandoned buildings to ensure they meet safety and quality standards. These assessments will determine the necessary re-engineering efforts required to restore the project.
“Tentatively, we are looking at around 400 days to make sure that the whole place is completed for sale to people. Currently, we inherited the shell structures. And some of them will go through structural integrity tests to make sure that we are not going to sell back to society something that might just break within time,” Mr. Ofori-Amanfo said during a meeting with the Ningo Traditional Council.
The Saglemi Housing Project was initially launched to help address Ghana’s staggering 1.8 million housing deficit. However, mismanagement and years of delay have left the project in disrepair. Only 1,506 of the planned 5,000 affordable housing units were partially completed before construction stalled.
The prolonged abandonment, spanning over seven years, has exposed the structures to severe weather conditions, including flooding in some areas, raising questions about their durability.
“You know, this development has been left for more than seven years. A lot of them have gone through bad weather conditions. Some areas had some flooding that is prone to the environment there. So we need to do a lot of re-engineering over there,” Mr. Ofori-Amanfo added.
The consortium’s pledge to complete the project within 400 days offers a glimmer of hope for prospective homeowners and stands as a critical step toward reducing the country’s housing deficit. By conducting thorough evaluations and prioritizing safety, the team aims to restore confidence in the project and deliver homes that meet quality standards.
