Ghana’s housing deficit: TDC makes remarkable strides

Ghana’s increasing housing deficit has been attributed to the high population growth rate, urbanisation and less supply of housing units to meet demand.

To stem the tide of the acute shortage in housing units, the TDC Development Company Limited continues to make tremendous strides by constructing affordable housing units in Tema and its environs with a broadened housing market for citizens.

TDC Development Company Limited (TDC)

Mr Ian Okwei, the Protocol and Administrative Manager of the TDC, speaking to the Ghana News Agency in Tema, said the Company was established in 1952 with the mandate to plan, develop and manage a 63-square mile area, termed the Tema Acquisition Area.

In 2017, the Government granted approval for the TDC to be converted into a limited liability company with an expanded operational and geographical scope.

Mr Okwei said as a result of TDC’s enhanced mandate, the Board and Management outlined some key projects to be implemented within the medium to long term (on-going and future projects), aimed at making the Company more business-focused and operate along sound commercial lines, whiles pursuing its social responsibilities of ensuring an improved and sustainable urban environment.

Current Projects

The Ghana News Agency gathered that as part of the TDC’s on-going projects with a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) funding, it is developing an affordable housing project at Kpone, Community 26, on 80-acre land.

It involves the construction of 150 blocks of flats, which will give a total of 3,016 apartments with service infrastructure and other complementary facilities such as commercial centres, school, clinic, and police station.

Through its Internally Generated Funds (IGF), the Company has constructed 128 apartments with an advanced biowaste treatment plant, the first phase consisting of four number 16 apartments, with two bedrooms each, completed at Site Three, Tema Community One.

A second phase of the project, which consist of four number 16 Apartment, is currently ongoing at the same location.

Hitherto, the 15-acre land open space at Site Three, now with overlooking eight-storey apartment blocks, had been grossly abused and turned into an auto workshop, scrap yards and charcoal markets, thus degrading the otherwise beautiful enclave.

At Tema Community 22, the TDC, in collaboration with the National Housing and Mortgage Fund, under the Ministry of Finance, had completed 204 housing units as part of the National Housing Project on a 37.42-acre land, consisting of a gated community with infrastructural services.

This is a pilot phase of a nationwide mortgage financing Housing Programme aimed at reducing the housing deficit and providing affordable housing for lower-to-middle income earners.

In the Community 24 enclave, the third phase of the Housing Ownership Scheme - a gated community on a 52.4-acre land - is ongoing under PPP funding, with phase one and two consisting of 1,400 fully serviced residential and commercial plots, 14.4 kilometre of internal roads, 10.3 kilometre of peripheral roads, and 37.6 kilometre of the drainage system.

Similarly, the redevelopment of the Kaiser/Sergigo enclave in Tema Community 4; a strategic location with the potential of being absorbed into the Central Business District due to its close proximity, is ongoing.

On completion, it will witness a mixed-use with 16 number high rise residential apartments with retail and office facilities.

The 16.03-acre land, when redeveloped, will also have a recreational centre to promote community life and fruitful social opportunities, separate from home and the workplace.

The Company, as part of its ongoing projects, is constructing a multi-storey car park with a sub-basement and a capacity to accommodate 350 vehicles and serve as a parking facility for the occupants of the adjacent TDC Towers and the entire Tema Community Two commercial enclave.

Mr Okwei said with the exhaustion of the Company’s land bank, along with its new mandate of an expanded geographical scope, efforts were underway to acquire lands for development, adding that it was being pursued with the support from the sector Ministry.

The proposed developments, he noted, would include the Site and Services project, which would consist of the residential, commercial and industrial complex, and direct housing construction with an emphasis on high rise buildings.

Upcoming Projects

Mr Okwei said with Ghana’s rapid urbanisation and huge housing deficit TDC would continue with the delivery of affordable housing for low-and middle-income earners.

In the medium to long term, the Company envisions constructing light and heavy industrial development with a minimum of 3000 acres of land occupying 12,138,000 square meters along the Akosombo and the Aflao Road with proximity to the Tema-Akosombo railway line.

Under a PPP funding arrangement, the project will see the development of an industrial complex along with other complementary uses such as residential, institutional (schools, hospitals, police stations) and retail facilities to create a functional community where people could live, work, and play.

Mr Okwei said a proposed construction of high rise residential apartments at Ocean Park at Tema Community Five would take off on a 6.46-acre land under a PPP funding source.

He said with the redevelopment programme within the old community, the “site would be developed into a five number 2-3-bedroom residential apartment to serve as a resettlement site for persons likely to be affected by the programme.”

“There will be a recreational facility including an Astroturf football pitch and a two-storey retail facility to absorb the current commercial activities at the site.”

Mr Okwei said TDC hoped to redevelop its old office area at Community One Vertical Centre – the second-highest commercial zone in the city - into a two number 12 storey retail facility, three office blocks and nine-storey luxury residential apartment and recreational centre (TDC water park) to cover an 8.03 acre of land.

“There will also be the construction of luxury apartments at Community 20, and the redevelopment of Site 1 and 2 Community One and the proposed redevelopment of TDC Conference Centre, which will consist of an event, sports and entertainment centres and lodging facilities,” he said.

In order to boost domestic tourism, Mr Okwei said the TDC envisioned to develop a hotel and recreational centre along the Sakumono Beachfront at Community 13 on a land size of 3.12 acres, covering 12,623 square meters.

Conclusion

With the ever-growing population and the need to provide adequate, equitable and affordable housing, which remains a priority of every government, it is commendable that the TDC is engaged in PPP to solve the housing deficit with the provision of sustainable human settlements.