participatory slum upgrading and prevention - the City of Accra

PARTICIPATORY SLUM
UPGRADING AND PREVENTION
MILLENNIUM CITY OF ACCRA, GHANA
OCTOBER, 2011

MISSION STATEMENT
“To raise the living standards of the people of the
city especially the poor, vulnerable and excluded
by providing and maintaining basic services and
facilities in the area of education, health, sanitation
and other social amenities”
VISION
‘A New Accra, clean and environmentally sound
where the City Authority mobilizes sufficient
resources, both internally and externally; and
utilizing these resources judiciously to benefit the
people of the City’.
ii

Contents
TABLE OF CONTENT
TABLE OF CONTENT ................................................................................................................................... iii
ACRONYMS .................................................................................................................................................. vi
COUNTRY TEAM MEMBERS ...................................................................................................................... vii
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................................................. viii
SLUM SITUATION ANALYSIS REPORT ...................................................................................................... 1
CHAPTER ONE ............................................................................................................................................. 2
GENERAL INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................................... 2
1.0 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................ 2
CHAPTER TWO ............................................................................................................................................. 3
CITYWIDE SLUM AND COMMUNITY SITUATION AND ANALYSIS ........................................................... 3
2.1 CITYWIDE SLUM SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS ............................................................................... 3
2.1.1 Slum Formation Tenure and Formation Stage ........................................................................... 3
2.1.2 City Level Information ................................................................................................................ 6
2.2 SLUM COMMUNITY INFORMATION ............................................................................................ 7
2.3 TOPOGRAPHY AND SLUM VULNERABILITY ............................................................................. 8
2.4 BASIC SERVICES AND INFRASTRUCTURE .............................................................................. 8
2.4.1 Electricity ................................................................................................................................ 8
2.4.2 Education ................................................................................................................................... 9
2.4.3 Health Facilities ........................................................................................................................ 11
2.4.4 Transportation .......................................................................................................................... 11
2.4.5 Waste Management ................................................................................................................. 13
2.4.7 Water ........................................................................................................................................ 15
2.5 INCOME LEVELS ........................................................................................................................ 15
2.6. Housing ........................................................................................................................................ 16
2.6.1 HOUSING AFFORDABILITY ....................................................................................................... 17
2.7 LAND FOR HOUSING ................................................................................................................. 17
2.8 HOUSING FINANCE .................................................................................................................... 18
2.9 GENDER AND SOCIO-ECONOMICS ......................................................................................... 19
iii

2.10 PRO-POOR AND PARTICIPATORY PLANNING ....................................................................... 20
2.11 SUMMARY OF CITY LEVEL ANALYSIS AND PRIORITIES ...................................................... 20
CHAPTER THREE ....................................................................................................................................... 22
STAKEHOLDER ANALYSIS ........................................................................................................................ 22
3.1 IDENTIFIED KEY STAKEHOLDERS FOR CITY AND COMMUNITY LEVEL PARTICIPATORY
SLUM UPGRADING AND PREVENTION ................................................................................................ 22
CHAPTER FOUR ......................................................................................................................................... 25
KEY COMPONENTS OF SLUM UPGRADING ........................................................................................... 25
4.1 LAND FOR HOUSING ................................................................................................................. 25
4.2 BASIC SERVICES AND INFRASTRUCTURE ............................................................................ 26
Health .................................................................................................................................................... 26
Education and Health............................................................................................................................ 26
Electricity ............................................................................................................................................... 27
4.3 FINANCE FOR HOUSING AND SLUM UPGRADING ....................................................................... 27
CHAPTER FIVE ........................................................................................................................................... 28
RECOMMENDATIONS ................................................................................................................................ 28
POLICY AND REGULATORY FRAMEWORK REVIEW CHAPTER SIX – POLICY AND REGULATORY
FRAMEWORK REVIEW .............................................................................................................................. 30
6.1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................ 31
6.2 POLICY AND REGULATORY FRAMEWORK REVIEW .................................................................... 32
6.3 CONCLUSION .................................................................................................................................... 41
CITYWIDE SLUM UPGRADING AND PREVENTION STRATEGY ............................................................ 42
CHAPTER SEVEN – SLUM UPGRADING AND PREVENTION STRATEGY ............................................ 43
7.1 INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................... 43
7.2 OBJECTIVES ............................................................................................................................... 43
7.3 COMPONENTS OF THE STRATEGY ............................................................................................... 44
7.4 PRIORITY INTERVENTION AREAS AND ACTION PLANS ............................................................. 44
7.5 ACTIVITIES, OUTPUTS AND RESPONSIBLE STAKEHOLDERS FOR PRIORITY ACTIONS ....... 47
7.6 MONITORING AND EVALUATION MATRIX ..................................................................................... 57
7.7 STAKEHOLDER ACTIVITY MATRIX ................................................................................................. 59
7.8 CONCLUSION .................................................................................................................................... 60
RESOURCE MOBILIZATION STRATEGY .................................................................................................. 61
iv

CHAPTER EIGHT – RESOURCE MOBILIZATION ..................................................................................... 62
8.1 IDENTIFIED SOURCES OF RESOURCE MOBILIZATION FOR SLUM UPGRADING AND
PREVENTION AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMPROVEMENT ...................................................... 62
Introduction ........................................................................................................................................... 62
Resource Mobilization Strategy ............................................................................................................ 62
8.2 APPROVED AND EXPECTED FUNDS FOR 2012 - ACCRA METROPOLITAN ASSEMBLY ......... 67
8.3 PROPOSALS AND PRIORITY ACTIONS FOR IMPROVING RESOURCE MOBILIZATION FOR
SLUM UPGRADING AND PREVENTION ................................................................................................ 69
8.4 CONCLUSION .................................................................................................................................... 71
CONCEPT NOTE ......................................................................................................................................... 72
CHAPTER NINE – CONCEPT NOTE .......................................................................................................... 73
SUMMARY OF THE ACTION .................................................................................................................. 73
RELEVANCE OF THE ACTION ............................................................................................................... 74
Relevance to the objectives/sectors/themes/specific priorities of the call for proposals ...................... 74
Describe and define the target groups and final beneficiaries, their needs and constraints and how the
action will address these needs ............................................................................................................ 76
PARTICULAR ADDED-VALUE ELEMENTS ............................................................................................ 76
DESCRIPTION OF THE ACTION ............................................................................................................ 77
KEY STAKEHOLDER GROUPS, ATTITUDES TOWARDS THE ACTION AND CONSULTATION
UNDERTAKEN WITH THEM ................................................................................................................... 78
FORESEEN ACTIVITIES, RELATED OUTPUTS AND RESULTS .......................................................... 78
SUSTAINABILITY OF ACTION ................................................................................................................ 79
REFERENCES ............................................................................................................................................. 81
v

ACRONYMS
AFD French Development Agency
AIDS Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome
AMA Accra Metropolitan Assembly
BRRI Building and Road Research Institute
CBO Community-Based Organization
DFID Department for Integrated Development
ECG Electricity Company of Ghana
EU European Union
GACEED Ga Mashie Centre for Education and Environmental Development
GAMADA Ga Mashie Development Agency
GET Fund Ghana Education Trust Fund
GHC Ghana Cedi
HIV Human Immunodeficiency Virus
HM Housing the Masses
ISSER Institute for Statistical, Economic and Social Research
JHS Junior High School
LAP Land Administration Project
L.I Legislative Instrument
MCI Millennium Cities Initiative
MDG Millennium Development Goal
MLGRD Ministry Of Local Government and Rural Development
MMDAs Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies
MoLF Ministry Of Lands and Forestry
MoWAC Ministry of Women And Children’s Affairs
MWRWH Ministry Of Water Resources, Works and Housing
NADMO National Disaster Management Organization
NGO Non-Governmental Organization
OACADA Old Accra Conservation and Development Association
PD Peoples Dialogue on Human Settlements
PSUP Participatory Slum Upgrading Programme
SHS Senior High School
SWC Solid Waste Company
SIF Social Development Fund
TCPD Town and Country Planning Department
UNDP United Nations Development Programme
UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
UN-HABITAT United Nations Settlement Programme
USD United States Dollar
WHO World Health Organization
vi

COUNTRY TEAM MEMBERS
1. HON ALFRED OKOE VANDERPUIJE - MAYOR OF ACCRA
2. AMUEL AYEH-DATEY-DATEY - METRO COORDINATING DIRECTOR, AMA
3. TIMOTHY TEYE OMAN - METRO DEV’T PLANNING OFFICER, AMA
4. LYDIA SACKEY ADDY - METRO BUDGET OFFICER, AMA
5. NANA SHARON DRAH - METRO RURAL HOUSING, AMA
6. VICTORIA ABANKWA - UN-HABITAT
7. GABRIEL NII TEIKO TAGO - DIR., GA MASHIE DEVELOPMENT AGENCY
8. PROFESSOR RALPH MILSS-TETTEY - PRES. GHANA INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTS
9. KWADWO YEBOAH - MIN OF LOCAL GOV’T AND RURAL DEV’T
10. SAANI MOHAMMED - MIN OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN AFFAIR
11. THERESA TUFUOR - MIN OF WATER RES, WORKS AND HOUSING
12. KETOR KENNETH YAOH - METRO DEV’T PLANNING OFFICE, AMA
13. ANTHONY FREDERICK MOMPI - METRO TOWN AND COUNTRY PLANNING
14. ELLEN OTENG-DARKO - HOUSING THE MASSES, CONSULTANT
15. FREDERICK ODURO - HOUSING THE MASSES, CONSULTANT
vii

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Accra was established by Local Government (Accra Metropolitan Assembly) (Establishment) Instrument,
2007 (L.I. 1926) and has eleven Sub-Metropolitan District Councils (Sub-Metros), each having slum
settlements (See figure 1 below). The city accommodates 85.9% of the population of the former city of
Accra (National Population and Housing Census, 2000) which included the current Metropolis of Accra,
and the Ledzokuku-Krowor Municipality, Accra has a current extrapolated resident population of 3.3 million
(from 2000 census) and a migrant influx of an estimated one million people, making the population of
Accra 4.3 million. Accra accommodates 17.7% of Ghana’s total population of 24,223,431 (Provisional
Results for 2010 Census, Ghana Statistical Services). This places a large pressure on the already heavily
backlogged housing stock in the city and a resultant proliferation of slums with 38.4% (1,652,374 people)
of the city’s population living in slums.
A high 1,269,023 people (76.8% of slum population) in the city have tenure security and 100,795 people
(6.1%) have high tenability (that is without threat of eviction from any source). Together this makes
1,369,818 (82.9%) of slum population with tenure security, though they may not have documented title to
their land. The remaining 282,556 people (17.1%) of slums have no tenure security; that is living in
squatter settlements thus raising the concern for low-income housing.
With slums with insecure tenure being squatter settlements, it can be concluded that the 282,556 people
in the city need safe, secure and decent accommodation. This means the provision of 51,374 rooms (12
square meters) to meet the current average 5.5 persons per room of slum dwellers. To reduce it to 3
persons per room a total of 94,185 rooms will be needed to accommodate slum dwellers squatting on
lands in the city.
Of the UN-Habitat characteristics for defining slums, access to improved sanitary facilities is the most
lacking in the city with the selected community of Ga Mashie having sufficient living area being the
characteristic most lacking.
Whereas there is very little available land for housing especially in the La Dadekotopon area, Ga Mashie
has no available land for housing. This makes land a highly valued commodity in the city, with a price and
a higher appreciating value than housing units.
Stakeholders for the Participatory Slum Upgrading Program in Ghana include Ministries, Departments
and Agencies (MDAs), the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) including the Ashiedu Keteke Sub-Metro
and the Ga Mashie Development Agency (GAMADA), the Ga Mashie community, Community based
Organizations including the Old Accra Conservation and Development Association (OACADA), NGO’s
including Housing the Masses and Peoples Dialogue on Human Settlements (PD), GACEED, Academia
and research institutions including the University of Ghana, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and
Technology, the Earth Institute, University of Columbia, USA and external Development partners including
the UN-Habitat, UNESCO, the European Union, the UNDP, DFID, AFD, Social Development Fund (SIF)
and CHF International.
On key components for slum upgrading, land for housing is the most challenging to address unless with
innovative collaborative strategies and high payment for its acquisition. The issue of basic services has
electricity being the least service required since the whole city has access to electricity; however, water is
lacking with a daily shortfall of over 130,000 cubic meters. This puts slum dwellers in a more deprived
situation in terms of water as most of them have no in- house connections and pay more for water.
It is recommended that the AMA develops and implement a comprehensive slum upgrading and
prevention strategy for improvement of the quality of life of slum dwellers. There should be the
establishment of programs in collaboration with relevant NGOs/CBOs for the education of communities on
dialoguing and participating at the City level. The issue of housing finance for low-income housing to
prevent and upgrade slums should be addressed in a comprehensive manner to include both demand and
supply sides. The issue of youth unemployment and girl child education in the city should be urgently
addressed, especially in slum areas where unemployment is high and girl child education is low.
viii

SLUM SITUATION ANALYSIS
REPORT
1

1.0 INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER ONE
GENERAL INTRODUCTION
Accra is the capital city of Ghana and the country’s administrative capital and seat of government. It is
located along the coastal belt of Ghana and is bordered to the north by the Ga West Municipal Assembly, to
the south by the Gulf of Guinea, east by the Ledzokuku-Krowor Municipal Assembly and to the west by the
Ga South Municipal Assembly.
The Metropolis was established by Local Government (Accra Metropolitan Assembly) (Establishment)
Instrument, 2007 (L.I. 1926) and presently has eleven sub metros. Each of the sub-metros has a slum
settlement (See figure 1 below). The city accommodates 85.9% of the population of the former city of Accra
(2000) which included the current city of Accra and the Teshie and Nungua localities, Accra has a current
resident population of 3.3 million (extrapolated from 2000 census) and a daily migrant influx of an estimated
one million people, making the population of Accra 4.3 million, Accra accommodates 17.7% of Ghana’s total
population of 24,223,431 (Provisional Results for 2010 Census, Ghana Statistical Services). This places a
huge pressure on the already heavily backlogged housing stock and socio-economic facilities including
education, health, sanitation and utilities in the city, with a resultant proliferation of slums as 38.4%
(1,652,374 people) of the city’s population live in slums. Figure 1 shows the location map of Accra with
identified slums.
Figure 1: Location Map of Accra with Identified Slums
The city has a land size of 17,320 hectares with slums covering 2,718.2 hectares. Whereas the city has a
population density of 250.73 persons per hectare, population density in slums is 607.8 persons per hectare,
of which most of them live in poor and dangerous conditions – along railway lines, on banks of waterways
and along the sea. Slum dwellers form 38.4% of the population of Accra but occupy 15.7% of the total land
area. Table 1 below shows the city level data and information of Accra. The average household size of the
formal sector of the city is 4.75 and that for slum areas is 5.5 a figure which is lowered by the many single
household families in squatter settlements where residents are usually living there for work and therefore
are normally with their families. This high population density gives slum communities a stronger local
economy than in formal communities since consumer population in slums is higher.
2

CHAPTER TWO
CITYWIDE SLUM AND COMMUNITY SITUATION AND ANALYSIS
In general, 78 slum settlements and pockets were identified by the PSUP survey, using aerial photography,
with confirmation by census data (community population against number of houses, income levels by city
classifications), the City’s Assembly members and slum dwellers. The indicators for identification were
durable housing, easy access to safe water and sanitation and community overcrowding. Table 2 below
shows the identified slum settlements in Accra classified according to tenure security or level of tenability
and stage of formation.
2.1 CITYWIDE SLUM SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS
2.1.1 Slum Formation Tenure and Formation Stage
Slums in the city have been grouped according to tenure security with stage of formation. Insecure slums
are squatter settlements, those with secure tenure are slums with formally recognized ownership, however,
most of these families may not have documentation for their lands due to the properties being handed over
from generation to generation. The high tenability slums are those that have lived on the lands which were
given to them mainly by the then traditional authorities who in Ghana own about 84% of land. They also
mostly would not have documentation of their lands. This therefore makes land tenure documentation a
priority under any development process especially for housing upgrading. Figure 12 shows the best and
worst slums in the city for intervention development purposes.
Table 1: Identified Slum pockets and their tenability and stage of formation
NO COMMUNITY
LAND TENURE
SECURITY/
LEVEL OF
TENABILITY
1. Ministries Area (Babylon) Insecure Infancy
2. Ministries Area (Between MUSIGA and Independence Square Insecure Infancy
3. Osu Secure Mature
4. Ringway Estate None
5. North Ridge None
6. Asylum Down None
7. West Ridge None
8.
9.
Adabraka Odawna Secure Mature
Adabraka Aditrom “ “
Tudu (Kimbu/ Kojo Thompson road area) Secure Mature
Tudu (Location/ Agbogbloshie Roads) “ “
10. Accra Central Insecure Infancy
11. Ussher Town Secure Mature
12.
STAGE OF
FORMATION BY
LENGTH OF
YEARS
Agbogbloshie (June 4 th near Old Fadama) Insecure Mature/ Infancy
Agbogbloshie (Timber Market) “ Mature
Agbogbloshie (Adedenkpo/ Kofi Oki Streets) “ Mature
13. James Town Secure Mature
14. Cantonments None
15. Labone Insecure Mature
16.
South La (Beach Area, near La Road/ Fourth Otwe Street) Secure Mature
South La (Near Kaa Djaanor) “ Mature
17. La Dadekotopon Secure Mature
18. Burma Camp None
19. Airport None
20. East Legon Secure Consolidation
21.
East Legon Extension (Trinity Road/ Asoyi) Insecure Infancy
East Legon Extension (Okponglo) Secure Mature
3

NO COMMUNITY
LAND TENURE
SECURITY/
LEVEL OF
TENABILITY
East Legon Extension (Free Town Avenue/ Dakar Streets) Insecure Infancy
22. Legon None
23. Achimota College None
24. Kissieman Secure Mature
25. South Legon None
STAGE OF
FORMATION BY
LENGTH OF
YEARS
26. North Dzorwulu Insecure Infancy
27. Airport Residential None
28. Airport West Residential None
29. Dzorwulu None
30. Abelemkpe None
31. Old Tesano Insecure Mature
32. Alajo Secure Mature
33. Kotobabi Secure Mature
34. Roman Ridge None
35. Kanda None
36. Mamobi Secure Mature
37. Nima Secure Mature
38. New Town Secure Mature
39. Kokomlemle None
40.
Avenor Secure Mature
Avenor (Nsawam Road/Sawan Link) “ “
41. North Industrial Area None
42. North Kaneshie None
43. Awudome None
44. Kaneshie None
45.
Darkuman (Asaman Street/ Winneba Road) Secure Mature
Darkuman (Darkuman Road/ Owusu Kofi Street) “ “
Darkuman (Darkuman Road/ Korlegon Street) “ “
Darkuman (Darkuman Road/ Justice Link) “ “
Darkuman (Ayawaso Road/ Essamuah Street) “ “
46. New Fadama Secure Mature
47. Abofu (Along Railway line/ Mount Horeb JSS) Secure Mature
48. Abofu (Drain/ Motorway Extension Boundary) “ Mature
49. Apenkwa Akweteyman High Tenability Mature
50.
51.
Nii Boi Town (Along Flower Street) Secure Mature
Nii Boi Town (Under High Tension Lines) Insecure Mature
Nii Boi Town (Abeka Steets and Nii Boi Link) Secure Mature
Kwashieman (Kwashieman High Street/ High Tension Line) Secure Mature
Kwashieman (Along High Tension Line) Insecure Consolidation
52. Abeka (Darkoman/ New Fadama Road Intersection) Secure Mature
53. Abeka (South of Kwame Nkrumah Motor Way) Secure Mature
54. Achimota Secure Mature
55. Kpehe Secure Mature
56. North Odorkor Secure Mature
57.
South Odorkor (Along Winneba Road) Secure Mature
South Odorkor (Mallam Market Area) High Tenability Mature
4

NO COMMUNITY
58.
LAND TENURE
SECURITY/
LEVEL OF
TENABILITY
Bubuashie (Nii Amontua Street/ Bubuashie Close) Secure Mature
Bubuashie (Darkuman Road/ Koteischolar Street) Secure Mature
Bubuashie (Kotey Street/ Darkuman Road) “ Mature
59. Russia Secure Mature
60. Mataheko Secure Mature
61. New Abossey Okai “ Mature
62. Abossey Okai Secure Mature
63. Sabon Zongo High Tenability Mature
64. Zoti None
65. Korle Bu None
66. Korle Gonno None
67. Chorkor Secure Mature
68. Mamprobi None
69.
Lartebiokorshie (Along Outer Ring Road/ Danso Street) Secure Mature
Lartebiokorshie (Eduado Mohdlana Road/ St. Francis Road) Secure Mature
Lartebiokorshie (Jonkobri Road/ Brigade Road) Secure Mature
Lartebiokorshie (Chemu Road/ Outer Ring Road) Secure Mature
70. Sukura High Tenability Mature
71.
73
74
Sempe (Chemu Stream/ 4 th Guggisberg Link) Secure Mature
Sempe (Chemu Stream/ Saka Lane) Secure Mature
Old Dansoman (Guggisberg Avenue/ Along Chemu River) Secure Mature
Old Dansoman (Along Old Winneba Road/ Chemu River) Secure Mature
Dansoman (Laud Bill Street/ 6 th Danba Link) Secure Mature
Dansoman (8 th Danba Street/ 14 th Danba Street) Secure Mature
72. Mpoase Secure Mature
73. Gbegbeyise Secure Mature
74. Mamponse Secure Mature
75. South Industrial Area (Abossey Okai Road/ Ring Road West) Secure Mature
76. Korle Dudor (Old Fadama) Insecure Mature
77.
La Secure Mature
La Dadekotopon (Burma Camp Road/ Sewerage Plant Road) None
78. Tesano None
TOTAL NUMBER OF SLUMS 78
STAGE OF
FORMATION BY
LENGTH OF
YEARS
With 7.2% of slums being at the infant stage, 2.4 at consolidation stage and 90.2% at the mature stage by
length of existence, it is important for the infant slums to be addressed to prevent them from growing since
they are smaller in geographic size and have little or no access to basic social services. Slum prevention
should be undertaken immediately upon the city’s realization of human settlement on any land, especially
when these infancy stage slums are normally squatter settlements, and the country’s land law legitimizes a
squatter settlement if there is no protest by any owner, after 12 years of settlement on that land 1 . Mature
slums usually have access to some basic services but typically have a high challenge of community and
household levels of overcrowding. It can therefore be concluded that about 90.2% of slum communities
have the challenge of overcrowding, making low-income housing a priority issue for Accra as a city.
From Table 1 above, most slums have tenure security in the city with 1,269,023 people (76.8% of slum
population) having tenure security, 100,794.8 people (6.1%) having high tenability (together making 82.9%
(1,551,579 people) without any fear of eviction as compared to 282,556 people (17.1%) of living in squatter
11 Limitation Decree 1972 (NRCD 54), Section 10 (1)
5

settlements having no tenure security. This ensures the legitimacy of a comprehensive slum upgrading
strategy for the city which if well implemented in an inclusive manner will result in significant improvement of
quality of life and contributing to achieving targets 10 and 11 of the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 7.
With slums with insecure tenure being squatter settlements, it can safely be concluded that the 282,556
people in the city need safe, secure and decent accommodation. This means the provision of 51,374 rooms
(12 square meters) to meet the current average 5.5 persons per room of slum dwellers. To reduce it to 3
persons per room a total of 94,185 rooms will be needed to accommodate slum dwellers squatting on lands
in the city. Provision of sleeping rooms rather than housing units are more critical due to the affordability
related practice in Ghana where low-income families live in rooms in compound houses, with shared
facilities for residents, either renting or ownership by extended families. (See Number 10 of Table 2 below).
2.1.2 City Level Information
Table 2 below gives key city level information for further analysis of slums in the city.
Table 2: City level Information
NO DATA REQUIRED INFORMATION
1. Total city population (including slums) 4,300,000 persons 2
2. Total city population (disaggregated by sex) Female: 51.8% Male: 3 48.2%
3. Total city land area (including slums) 17,320 hectares 4
4. Population density 250.73 persons/ hectare
5. Total population in slums 1,652,373.9 (38.4%)
6. Total land area covered by slums 2,718.23 (15.69%)
7. Average population density in slum areas 607.8 persons/ hectare
8. Total number of slum settlements or pockets 82
9. Total number of houses in city (including slums) 164,414 5
10. Households sharing dwellings 93.4% 6
11. Slums with prevalent overcrowding 90.2%
12. Available vacant public land for housing and services
13. Available vacant private land for housing and services
14. Available vacant land for housing and services under
customary or other informal tenure
15. Proportion of permanent dwellings (cement block or burnt
brick walls, iron sheet or other permanent roof) 79.6% 7
16. Proportion of semi-permanent dwellings (mud/pole walls;
iron sheet roofs) 17.8%
17. Proportion of temporary dwellings (mud/poles or other
temporary wall materials; thatched roof) 2.6%
18. Average household size at city level 4.75 persons 8
19. Average residential plot size in formal areas 650 square meters
20. Average living area in dwellings in formal areas 325 square meters
21. Average House Values in formal areas GHC 206,363 (USD137,575) 9 .
22. Average construction cost of house in formal areas GHC 71,280.00 (USD 44,273.29) 10
23. Average monthly income per household at city level GHC 674.5 (USD 449.6)
24. HIV/AIDS prevalence 3.0% 11
25. Female headed households 40%
2
Projected from 2000 census
3
Based on 2010 Provisional census sex ratios for Greater Accra Region
4
Calculated from Survey Department Map area (includes water bodies)
5
Projected from 2000 census using City Medium Term Development Plan information of 5350 annual housing provision for city
6
Urbanization and Land Markets, Seth Asiamah and Mahdu Rahgunath, June 2007
7
Based on 2000 Population and Housing Census
8
Ghana Housing Profile, 2010, UN-Habitat
9
Ghana Institute of Surveyors, 2010
10
Based on an average 4 bedroom basic finish house and construction cost in Ghana Housing Profile, 2010
11 Accra Metropolitan Health Directorate
6

2.2 SLUM COMMUNITY INFORMATION
Table 3: Key Information for Ga Mashie Community
NO DATA REQUIRED INFORMATION
26. Slum population 100,342 persons
Total slum population (disaggregated by sex) Female: 51.8% Male: 12 48.2%
Land area covered by the slum 90.9 hectares
27. Number of dwellings 1794
28. Population density 1103 persons/ hectare
29. Average household size 5.5 persons
30. Room occupancy 10.6 persons per room
31. Average residential plot size 642.72 square meters
Average free space per plot 48.9 square meters
32. Average living area
Proportion of permanent dwellings (cement block or burnt
199.5 square meters
brick walls, iron sheet or other permanent roof) 66.6%
33. Proportion of semi-permanent dwellings (mud/pole walls; iron
sheet roofs) 32.3%
34. Proportion of temporary dwellings (mud/poles or other
temporary wall materials; thatched roof) 1.1%
35. Average construction cost of permanent dwelling GHC 71,200 (USD 44,500)
Average construction cost of semi permanent dwelling GHC 53,400 (USD 33,375)
36. Average construction cost of temporary dwelling GHC 26,700 (USD 16,687)
37. Availability of piped water on plot 27.4% 13
Availability of piped water not on plot 70.4%
38. Distance to piped water (if not on plot) Max 50 meters
39. Proportion of households depending on sources other than
piped water (water vendors, rivers, wells)
2.2%
40. Availability of electricity connections in dwelling 100%
41. Availability of other electricity sources (if no formal
connection)
0%
42. Average monthly household income GHC 126.13 (USD 78.83) 14
43. Households with permanent source of income (employed in
formal sector)
10% 15
44. Households with main income or productive activity at home/
plot (small shop, dressmaker, shoemaker)
30%
45. Proportion of rental housing 10%
46. Average monthly rent per room GHC 15.00 - 20.00 (USD 9.40 –
12.50
47. HIV/ AIDS Prevalence 3.0%
48. Proportion of population receiving food assistance Not Available
49. Vulnerable groups 16.6% (sleep outside) 16
50. Main environmental hazards (floods, landslides, pollution from
surroundings, others)
Pictures 1, 2 and 3: Ga Mashie Community showing Overcrowding even during Day Time
12 Based on 2010 Provisional census sex ratios for Greater Accra Region
13 Information on piped water is based on CHF Ghana/ Housing the Masses Housing Feasibility Survey,2010
14 AMA Medium Term Development Plan Income Classification according to classes, 2010-2013
15 Information for 18 to 22 was gathered from community meeting on October 19, 2011
16 Based on CHF Ghana/ Housing the Masses Housing Feasibility Survey, 2010
Air pollution from abattoir, Water
pollution by solid and liquid waste
disposal at Lavender Hill, direct
human defecation at the beach front,
Noise pollution from out-dooring,
funeral ceremonies and
entertainment centers.
7

The Ga Mashie community accommodates 6% of the slum population in Accra. The community is made up
of James and Ussher Towns and is an indigenous Ga community with traditional family homes. From Table
3 above, though the community has an average household size of 5.5, the average room occupancy is 10.6
persons, explaining the presence of people who sleep outside in the open. Overcrowding is a physical
characteristic at street, house and room levels and this started as a result of a 1939 earthquake which
brought most of the double story buildings in the community down, leaving them to be restored to single
storey and having to accommodate the same number of people in addition to future generations.
Slum households in Ghana usually occupy rooms in compound houses, instead of detached houses due to
affordability issues. Thus, to address the current issue of overcrowding in Ga Mashie, the community will
need 33,447 sleeping rooms (standard 12 square meters) to bring current room occupancy to three (3)
persons. In the next eight (8) years, this should be seriously considered in any housing upgrading for the
community. Any housing upgrading could make use of the free space in the houses as a result of their
predominant compound style, however, only 66% of buildings are permanent structures due to their age and
it will therefore be important for any new buildings to be of permanent nature.
2.3 TOPOGRAPHY AND SLUM VULNERABILITY
Though Accra lies between 0 and 144 meters above sea level, Figure 2 shows its slum settlements and
pockets lying between 0 and 48 meters above sea level some further located within close proximity to water
bodies or major drains. It should be noted that there are slum settlements along almost the whole length of
the Odaw River and drain in the City.
The combination of low lying topography, presence of rivers and their encroachment especially by slum
populations, thus present a flood vulnerability to sections of the city especially in slum areas. Substantial
parts of the Alajo, Kpehe, Kotobabi, Avenor, Kokomlemle and the whole of Korle Dudor (including Old
Fadama) and Ussher and James Towns, Gbegbeyse and Mpoase are all within flood prone zones (by the
NADMO).
At the community level, however, James and Ussher Towns are low lying coastal communities (less than
five meters above mean sea level) placing them within the most vulnerable communities requiring good
drainage systems to prevent flooding. In all, 366,823 (22.2% of slum population) slum dwellers in the city
live in flood prone areas.
2.4 BASIC SERVICES AND INFRASTRUCTURE
The city of Accra has access to all basic services including electricity, water, sanitation (toilet, drainage,
refuse disposal), telecommunication etc; however, the level of accessibility is at often times inadequate, with
slum areas having the lowest adequacy levels.
2.4.1 Electricity
All communities in the city have access to electricity, including slums. Discussions with the Electricity
Company of Ghana (ECG) indicate that some houses in squatter slums such as Old Fadama initially had
legal access to electricity due to their policy of providing houses with electricity once they applied. However,
when this policy changed for residents to submit building permits with their applications, incidence of illegal
connections have become prevalent in slums.
Slum dwellers generally complain of high tariffs however, existing subsidy system only favors lowconsumption
households. Most slum dwellers tend to miss out because of the high number of households
8

sharing single electricity meters. Subsidies in slum communities will therefore be a new issue for
discussion. Figure 3 below shows access to electricity in Accra.
Figure 2: Boundary Map of Ga Mashie Community, Accra
Source: Google Earth, Retrieved October 20, 2011
At the community level, Ga Mashie has access to electricity, however, the usage of a single meter in houses
have multiple families have led to some households opting to be without electricity to prevent disputes, due
to inequities in the payment of electricity bills. It is therefore necessary for households to acquire their own
meters, however, the cost of meters are unaffordable to most households.
2.4.2 Education
Slum communities have fewer education facilities with lower educational standards as typical of public
primary and Junior high schools which are more prevalent in slum communities and pupils and students are
sometimes compelled to travel to other communities to attend school via public transport. Though they have
a few senior high schools, they are accessible to them within the acceptable planning standard of five (5)
km. Currently, the city has 1,978 permanent and 522 temporary classrooms for primary to Junior High
Schools, making a total of 2,500 classrooms for the current 160,000 pupils and a pupil to classroom ratio of
64 to 1. With a target maximum 45 pupils per classroom, the city needs 156 classrooms to accommodate all
and future anticipated pupils, upon completion of the planned 1,496 classrooms which have been budgeted
for with commencement of construction.
Ga Mashie is in the only sub-metro (Ashiedu Keteke) in the city with more male school enrolment than
females, though the margin is small. Education level in the community is low with the majority of the
population having a highest education level of senior high school or its equivalent. This is reflected in the
high poverty levels in the community (average monthly income 126.13 (USD 78.83). The community has
13 primary schools, 8 Junior high schools, 13 kindergartens and 1 vocational Institute. However, there are
surrounding schools including one senior high school, which is within vehicular travel distance of James
Town thus a need for a senior high school in the community. There are more public schools than private
schools in the community which could be attributed to the low income levels and affordability of private
schools which are more expensive. It is therefore important that the AMA increase the number of
classrooms in their citywide improvement of education to ensure that more children have, and access better
quality education in the community. A recent community meeting revealed the youth contending education
as one of their pressing needs and advocating for the establishment of remedial schools in the community.
9

Figure 3: Topography, Flood and Drainage Vulnerability
Source: Survey Department and NADMO
Figure 4: Access to Electricity for the City of Accra
Source: Survey Department
Height above Sea
10

Figure 5: Health and Education for the City of Accra
Source: Metro Health Department, Metro Education Department and Survey Department
2.4.3 Health Facilities
The World Health Organization’s (WHO) standard doctor-patient ratio is 1:600, however, the current ratio for
the city is 1:5,177 with 81.2% of the population having access to a health facility within 30 minutes reach
from their homes 17 . The city needs 7,167 doctors to provide acceptable standards of health care to
residents. Whereas 28% of health facilities in the city are hospitals, 59.6% are health centers or posts and
the remaining 27.4% are other health facilities 18 . Again, 85.8% of health facilities in the city are private or
NGO owned, 1.8% is mission owned, 3.2% are quasi-government and the remaining 9.2% are government
owned.
With the high doctor to patient ratio, it is necessary for more doctors to be trained to at least half the doctor
to patient ratio by the year 2020 with an increased nurse patient ratio and the construction of more health
facilities. Data for Kisseiman, Burma Camp, La Dadekopon however were not available.
2.4.4 Transportation
Road
Whereas the city in general has accessibility in terms of roads its slums have less accessibility, with secure
slums like Ga Mashie (James and Ussher Towns) having main tarred roads and large blocks of residential
areas with only pedestrian access. This is mainly due to the informal nature of development where
individuals decide how to gain access to their dwellings without consideration to the entire community.
Figure 7 below shows circulation patterns of slums in AMA.
Accra has a total road network of 1,800 km of which 67% is paved and 33% unpaved. Of this, arterial road
covers 15%, collector and local roads and remaining 70% being first, second and third classes of roads.
Road transport in the city is the most difficult due to heavy traffic which causes overly long travel times. A 15
minute distance journey within the city at night when road traffic is minimal would usually take about 2 hours
17 The Status of Human Development and Social Exclusion, Ghana Human Development Report, 2007
18 Ghana Districts, Health, Retrieved October 18, 2011
11

in the day, due to heavy traffic; a situation detrimental for business, which needs to be urgently addressed.
A contributory factor to this is that only 30% of vehicles on roads are mini buses and buses, though 70% of
motorized persons use buses. The remaining 30% of road used by smaller private cars or taxis 19 .
Figure 6: Access to Health Facilities in AMA including Slums
Source: AMA Metro Health Department and Population Census Projected Figures
At the community level, all roads in Ga Mashie are tarred; however, not every house has direct access to a
road (60%) resulting in difficulty in accessing some houses in the event of a fire outbreak which fortunately
is a rare occurrence in the community. Roads are also encroached with household and commercial activities
making most roads too narrow for double vehicular access, as they have been designed for. It is therefore
necessary for more roads to be constructed in the community. This may calls for housing realignment and
subsequent reconstruction to accommodate its occupants in the event of community redevelopment.
Due to inadequate access roads as a result of haphazard development, alleys have become an important
means of accessibility in the community. With the CHF International’s Alley pavement project, most alleys in
the James Town area have been paved with either cement or pavement blocks. Some community members
have also paved their alleys. This has significantly reduced the incidence of flooding in the community. It is
therefore important that any immediate improvement in the community expands alley pavement in the
community to ensure accessibility in and from the community all year round especially by children.
Bicycle Lanes
There are very few bicycle lanes on major roads in the city though the presence of bicycles and motor
bicycles are visible in the city presenting a safety issue for cyclists in the city. With the heavy traffic in the
city, cycling could be a useful alternative transportation and needs to be better developed for improved
transportation in the city.
19 AMA Medium Term Development Plan, 2010-2013
12

Figure 7: Transportation Facilities in Accra
Source: Survey Department and Housing the Masses Slum Mapping
Pedestrian Access
Pedestrian access in the city is quite poor with many roads and streets with no demarcated or developed
walkways forcing pedestrians especially in the central business district to compete with vehicles. Areas with
pedestrian access include the ceremonial streets of the city and some upper income residential
neighborhoods such as Airport Hills where development of pedestrian walkway is part of conditions for
developing houses. Slum communities have the most pedestrian access due to inaccessibility; however,
most of these pedestrian accesses which are usually alleys are not paved. Paving pedestrian accesses in
slum areas contribute to adequate accessibility all year round and should be encouraged as part of
upgrading slums.
Rail Transport
About 3% of the people in the city use rail transport though it is available. There are two rail lines in the city
running from Accra towards Kumasi and Takoradi, and another to Tema meant for carrying passengers and
goods. However, the services are now only carrying passengers with the service from Accra Central towards
Tema and Nsawam. Though the rail service is cheaper, faster and a better system of transport for the city
due to its ability to carry heavy traffic, its development is very minimal and should be urgently improved to
reduce the high road transportation stress, ineffectiveness and inefficiency in the city to attract more
business and tourists especially to the city center. The expected rail development project by the
Government of Ghana and the mono-rail and tram development systems by the city authorities stand to
affect slum communities dotted along the rail and tram corridors.
2.4.5 Waste Management
Waste management is a key area of concern for the city which is compounded by the over 1,000,000
population influx daily (who do not pay for generated waste). This is reflected in the city’s use of over 60%
of their internally generated funds for solid waste management 20 . Figure 8 below shows a backlog of waste
collection in all eleven sub-metros of the city. Whereas Ablekuma North generates the most refuse, it is
20 Ghana Districts, 2007
13

Ablekuma South with less refuse generated which has the highest refuse backlog. This is against the
backdrop of the present polluter pay principle. The waste management contractors; however are yet to
complete the registration and supply of bins to households and lack all the requisite equipment for
undertaking their activities. Notable is the high generation of waste in slum communities than in formal nonslum
communities, due to high population densities in the slums.
Figure 8: Refuse Management in Accra
AMA Waste Management Department, 2010
The community has a good waste collection system. Ashiedu Keteke has the best collection rates with only
20% of waste collection backlog. With AMA’s introduction of the polluter pays principle (house to house) of
waste management and waste recycling projects in the community, waste management has significantly
improved. The waste management challenge in the community lies with the inadequacy of skips to receive
waste generated from houses yet to be supplied with bins by private waste companies. Inadequate
employment opportunities in the community make it difficult for some households to afford payment for
waste collection.
House collection system should be expanded to all houses and a well established engineered land fill for
receiving waste from the skip from the communities to ensure constant collection.
2.4.6 Drainage
Liquid waste management suffers from ambiguities in the responsibility for maintenance of storm drains.
This has contributed to inadequate investment and ineffective service of storm drains in Accra. Though the
Department of Urban Roads handed over the maintenance of street-side drains to Assemblies in 2002, the
responsibility came without corresponding budget transfers. Pollution of water bodies in the city through
dumping of refuse and human excreta and poor maintenance of drains lead to perennial flooding with any
heavy rain, resulting in loss of life and property.
Though all roads have drains, the absence of access roads in more than half of the community has also led
to bad drainage in the community and earth drains are used in areas where there are no roads. Drains along
14

minor roads are not able to accommodate the liquid waste from houses and bathrooms due to the high
population densities and the absence of soak-aways, which is also due to inadequate space for their
construction and unaffordability by most residents. Some community members have also encroached on
drains by filling them and building on them.
There should be a well coordinated drainage system in the community to significantly reduce flooding and
cut down on diseases. Poor public attitude towards of dumping refuse in drains should also be discouraged
through community sensitization and education. Waste recycling as an economic activity as piloted in the
community by CHF International’s Buy Back and Compost Plant projects in James Town should be
encouraged.
Liquid waste:
The community disposes off liquid waste through drains within community and by roads and also in the
open, which leads to standing water and sometimes resulting in the spread of diseases like malaria.
Toilets and Bathrooms:
Ga Mashie has 90% 21 of its households using public toilets, with an adequate number of squat holes for the
community. A recent community meeting revealed that poor management of the toilet facilities lead to a wait
period of between 3 to 4 minutes during peak morning and evening hours when people have to wait to get a
decent cubicle to use. Toilet facilities could also be upgraded to tiles and cleaned regularly and its
management significantly improved. The AMA is building 42 toilets in the metropolis with one being
constructed in Ga Mashie.
The community has adequate commercial and public bathroom facilities for its majority users. However,
previous public bathrooms are now manned by private entities who charge a high fee of GHC0,25 per bath.
Only 64% of individual houses, however, have bathrooms in the community.
There is the need for individual houses to have toilet and bath facilities as recommended by the city
authorities. However, social issues like cleaning of these facilities in turns by family members and tenants
become a challenge. Education and sensitization should be intensified in the community to ensure the policy
of having toilets and bathrooms in homes is successful.
2.4.7 Water
The city has a daily estimated demand of 532,570 cubic meters of water, however only 401,800 cubic
meters is provided, which constitutes 75.45%, leaving a daily supply shortfall of 130,000 cubic meters of
water in the country. In slum areas, the situation is even worse, with most households not in a position to
afford in-house pipe borne water. In addition to low incomes in slum areas, inadequate space has left most
slum areas with very few water mains for connection into houses. They therefore rely on water vendors for
their water needs at a much higher cost compared to the cost of in-house pipe-borne water.
2.5 INCOME LEVELS
Table 4: Income Classification of Communities in AMA
Income Class Lower Range (GHC) Upper Range (GHC)
4th class 0.00 99.00
3rd class 99.12 137.38
2nd class 137.50 499.88
1st class 500.00 1250.00
21 2010 CHF/Housing the Masses Survey in Ga Mashie
15

Figure 9: Income Classifications of Accra 22
Source: AMA Medium Term Development Plan, 2010-2013
Monthly income levels in the city range from GHC 99.00 to GHC 1250.00 with Figure 9 above showing slum
areas in the city forming the 3rd class lower and 4 th class settlements. However, some first class
communities have some early stage slums formation within them, an issue that needs to be addressed
urgently to avoid the obvious spread of the phenomenon in such settlements (See figure 9 above).
2.6. Housing
The AMA estimates an annual 25,000 housing units need in the metropolis, only 5,350 units (21.4%) are
provided. This has left an accumulated backlog of 300,000 units with many of the structures being substandard.
23 Private individuals dominate the delivery of housing with over 90% of the stock annually with the
government, quasi-government organizations and private estate developers providing the remainder 24 .
However, 2000 census indicates 53.9% of housing in Accra being compound houses where they live
families live in rooms and 15.6% being single room units.
Housing in Accra is characterized by a large number of households and groups of between 10 and 30 rooms
with kitchen and toilet facilities shared among households. Whereas the mean household size of the city is
4.75 25 persons per household that for slum areas in general for the city is 5.5 persons with the Ga Mashie
community having an average of two household occupying a room, due to people sleeping outside of their
houses due to inadequate number of rooms or room sizes being too small and uncomfortable to sleep in
especially during hot weather.
With high house prices and non-existent housing finance especially for low-income earners, generally low
incomes, scarce land availability and usually non-availability of documented land titles due to the
cumbersome process of land title acquisition, the issue of housing needs to be addressed in a
comprehensive manner to ensure sustainable availability of housing especially for slum dwellers.
22 AMA Medium Term Development Plan, 2010-2013
23 Accra Metropolitan Assembly, Medium Term Development Plan 2010-2013
24 Accra Metropolitan Assembly, Medium Term Development Plan 2010-2013
25 Ghana Housing Profile, 2010, UN-HABITAT
16

2.6.1 HOUSING AFFORDABILITY
GLSS 5157 shows that households in Accra spend only 4.5 per cent of their household expenditure on
housing and urban households elsewhere spend only 2.2 per cent on housing, giving an urban total of 3.2
per cent. Under the itemization of expenditure per capita, GLSS 5158 gives only 1.1 per cent for “actual
rental for housing” and 1.8 per cent for “maintenance and repair of dwelling”.
Figure 10: Housing Affordability in Accra
Income (GHC) Maximum Affordable (GHC) Monthly affordable rent (GHC) % of households in Accra
4,000+ 180,000 500+ 5%
3,001-4,000 144,000 400 10%
2,001-3,000 108,000 300
50%
1,001-2,000 72,000 200
501-1,000 36,000 100
101-500 18,000 50
35%
51-100 12,000 10
Most of the housing needs of the city are within slum communities with a high level of overcrowding and
population density in excess of 1000 persons per hectare. This can be attributed to the high cost of housing
(both for rental housing due to minimum 1 year advance and ownership) in comparison to the low-incomes
in the city. Whereas the highest cost of house affordable to low income earners including slum dwellers is
GHC 24,000 (USD 15,000), the lowest cost of housing on the market currently is GHC 30,000 (USD
18,750). This makes housing very unaffordable to the low income in the city. Rental housing does not
present any better alternative with the usual but illegal two year advance payment of rent required by most
landlords instead of the statutory maximum of six months. It is expected that with the UN-Habitat Slum
Upgrading Pilot Project in Ashaiman, coupled with the gradual interest of developers, manufacturers and
NGOs in developing an affordable housing product, cost of housing will be reduced. Figure 10 above which
is based on information from the UN-Habitat Ghana Housing Profile shows that 35% of the population
cannot afford to own a house due to their income levels, which makes alternative building materials and
technology a necessity to ensuring affordable, durable, safe and sustainable housing. Rent control laws also
need to be enforced.
2.7 LAND FOR HOUSING
With very few vacant lands in Accra and a complex system of land acquisition and administration land
ownership is a legal minefield for the unsuspecting developer. About 84% of land in Ghana belongs to
traditional authorities and Authorities and Accra is no exception. To acquire stool land in Accra, one would
normally have to identify a vacant plot and convey this information to the occupant of the stool concerned.
Alternatively, where a person has information that a stool has land to sell, he may approach the occupant of
the stool with his request. Land in Ghana is usually sold at standard sizes of 918 square meters or 642
square meters, making it unaffordable to most slum dwellers and low-income earners in general. Thus, slum
communities in formal areas with secure tenure have large compound houses, where households occupy
rooms in these houses.
Most available lands especially in middle to high income areas are currently under-utilized and the city has
planned intensive redevelopment into first class, high quality mixed residential and commercial uses on
vacant lands in high income, low-density residential areas. This presents investment opportunities for estate,
and land investors to transform the existing housing situation in Millennium City of Accra. However, housing
on these lands are only affordable to upper income earners. Land in Accra appreciates faster than housing,
making it a good investment and adding to its constantly rising cost and increasing house prices.
Land in Ghana is either owned through freehold (which has legally been discontinued, except as gifts by
traditional authorities), or leasehold (usually 99yr term and renewable). However, under the freehold system,
some lands in parts of the country including Accra, were given under freehold by traditional authorities to
settlers, without any written documentation. Settlers on such lands are recognized owners and thus are
described to have high tenability. Freehold landowners as in Ga Mashie may or may not have written
documents but are highly recognized by the state. Any in-situ housing upgrading in slum areas will therefore
17

need to determine owners with documented titles and implement a titling project if necessary; however,
squatter settlements may need housing relocation.
Ga Mashie being an indigenous community has land owned by families which was given before the Public
Lands Leasehold Ordinance in 1951. Each family property including land and house, belong to a number of
people within each family; however, Ga Mashie has a family system of family heads who speak for each
family and any redevelopment will have to be in-situ on the same family land as the community is overcrowded
without any available land for housing. The only open spaces are the community durbar grounds,
Mantse Agbonaa (Chiefs Compound) which also serves as a football field and the Bukom square which
serves as a multi-purpose area for boxing, playing football and other public activities. Houses are also built
to their plot lines with about 70% of buildings defining their land boundaries and very little space between
houses with a large number of alleys instead of roads. About 99.4% of the land in Ga Mashie is held under
informal customary tenure (handed down from generation to generation) with the remaining being public
ownership. From a recent survey by CHF International, about 65.9% of the land is registered in communitybased
informal or customary land management system with 20.1% registered in public title register with
2.2% indicating having no title or deed. About 90% of households own their dwelling units with just 10%
renting with room rental at averaging GHC 15-20 per month. Survey indicates near 100% ownership based
on freehold and leasehold. Any land for housing will have to be achieved through innovative and
comprehensive design through heavy community engagement at house level, with development of high rise
buildings, to leave space for other community infrastructure and services.
2.8 HOUSING FINANCE
Housing finance for Ga Mashie has been explored during the CHF/Housing the Masses Survey in 2010. In
that survey, 82.4% of families preferred to partner with investors for financing the upgrading of their houses.
Of these families 80.7% preferred a lease component for their partner investors in the new development.
Subsequent to this survey, CHF International is partnering the Land Administration Project in the
development of land titles for 109 families as a first step to formalizing them towards the financing of their
housing upgrading. This if replicated to cover the entire community, makes them potential off takers for
investors. Potential sources of housing finance include the national and local government in the form of
material subsidy or city level low-income housing fund that could go to reduce interest rates and
subsequently house cost.
The average construction cost of middle and high income housing for the city is GHC 71,200 (USD 44,500)
with the average living area of 199.5 square meters. This could be attributed to the Ghanaian taste for large
and grandiose buildings which is further fueled by our Architecture schools and practicing Architects; but this
has high cost implications The current cost of housing the average family therefore is GHC 126,992.61
(USD 79,370). However, with slum households in Ghana usually occupying one to two rooms measuring
12square meters each, and a current average cost per square meter of GHC 480.00 (USD 300) a slum
house of about 39 square meters will cost GHC18,720 (USD11,700. In view of this, with the average income
of GHC 126.13 (USD 78.83), the community cannot afford any new housing upgrading on their own since
their income can only get them a mortgage for a housing unit costing GHC 9120 (USD 5,700) over a 15 year
loan period; using Ghana Home Loans Limited’s mortgage calculator. A proposed housing finance strategy
is to link families with developers with families using their lands as equity and the developers financing the
construction of the houses in multi-storey densities to accommodate the current number of persons in
decent room to person ratios, with additional rooms for rent by the families as an income generating activity
and the remaining rooms to the investor to off-set his construction cost. This financing method has been
used by some investors and families in Kumasi and other cities as well as in the Ga Mashie community,
making it a well accepted option to families. Banks including Bank of Africa (Amalgamated Bank), Ghana
Home Loans and Barclays are willing to support such housing projects, with some guarantee by a
recognized entity or organization and availability of land free of environmental challenges and all
encumbrances. The implication of this will include a density policy for the community and well engineered
buildings since it is an earthquake prone area and the development of land titles for all families who
participate in housing upgrading.
The challenge that needs to be addressed on housing finance is that on the supply side, interest rates on
construction loans are high (22-24% annually), with the few incentives that come from the government given
to real estate developers who only produce middle to high income houses. On the supply side, there is
virtually no mortgage available to low income earners due to their informal financial nature. There is also no
18

competition in the low-income housing construction sector due to its unattractive profit margins to real estate
developers. These issues need to be factored in any low-income housing strategy to ensure sustainability.
2.9 GENDER AND SOCIO-ECONOMICS
Like many communities, there are more females in Ga Mashie than males (51.8% to 48.2%). Table 6 below
shows a decreasing of school completion rate for girls especially at the JHS level. This is reflected with the
high teenage mothers seen in the community, which some have attributed to the culture of out-dooring and
youngsters sleeping in neighbors compounds or outside their houses due to inadequate rooms in their
houses. With 16.6% of the population sleeping outside of rooms, there is a high vulnerable group that
needs to be provided for in terms of safe, secure and decent accommodation. This includes children and
girls who are very vulnerable group of the society.
Table 5: School Completion Rate for Ga Mashie at JHS Level
Academic Year/ Sex 2007/2008 2008/2009 2009/2010
Boys 74.2% 74.5% 67.8%
Girls 66.5% 65.1% 61.4%
The issue of education should be seriously planned for and implemented to stop the cycle of low level of
education resulting in increased poverty.
Markets are important facilities, especially for slum communities and Ga Mashie has two main markets;
London Market in James Town which is mainly a meat market and the Salaga Market (the famous colonial
days slave market) in Ussher Town which is now closed for renovation and is operating from the street side.
However, street-side vending and home employment are prevalent economic activities in the community.
Other markets in the city mostly located near slum areas are planned for renovations by the city.
Commercial activities are mainly supported by the community as they are focused on mostly household
needs and food vending. The community also has many palaces located in all seven wards of the
community. These serve as a good tourist attraction which if well organized could raise a healthy income for
the community and employ a number of youth. The broad economic zones in the community are as below in
Figure 11.
Figure 11: Broad Economic Zones in Ga Mashie
Source: Google Earth, Retrieved October 20, 2011
A majority of male youth in the community are more interested in employment opportunities in the area of
fishing harbor work and abattoir work as well as other low or semi skill employment, while the females are
interested in the rehabilitation of the Salaga Market. This could be attributed to their low educational levels.
19

The development of sports talent especially in boxing and football as an income generating activity was also
encouraged at the last community meeting by the youth and this is reflected by the strong presence of
professional and amateur boxers and footballers in the community.
2.10 PRO-POOR AND PARTICIPATORY PLANNING
Participatory planning is a constitutional mandate for Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies
(MMDAs) in Ghana. Citizen participation in Accra is minimal with mostly neighborhood Associations being
the main medium of participation in the main activities of the city, such as the development of the Medium
Term Development Plan.
Planning in the community is facilitated by the Ga Mashie Development Agency (GAMADA), a unit under the
Accra Metropolitan Assembly, in collaboration with the Assembly members for the community and the
Ashiedu Keteke Sub Metro. Community associations including the groups are channels for community
participation in the development of the community. Planning for Medium Term Development plans for the
city by the community is undertaken in the form of a community meeting where infrastructural facilities
lacking are enumerated and documented by city officials with their locations. However, the community does
not get to participate in the comprehensive planning of the city; an area that needs significant improvement
by the city.
Gradually, awareness creation of participatory planning since its inclusion in the Local Government Act, 462
of 1993 and project planning and implementation by external development partners, Ga Mashie has
benefited from participating in projects and programs from its design stage. Such projects include the CHF
survey and the current on-going PSUP, where community is participating in the information gathering
process toward the development of project.
On the other hand information from the community to the AMA is channeled through their Assembly
members and vice versa. A recent focus group discussion with Assembly members in September 2011
indicated that Assembly members usually have little or no knowledge on stakeholders involved in the
implementation of physical projects, thus, preventing them from effectively monitoring them for evaluation.
It is therefore encouraged that communities are included in the overall planning of the city and also in the
selection of implementing agencies for physical projects, to ensure adequate monitoring and project
success.
2.11 SUMMARY OF CITY LEVEL ANALYSIS AND PRIORITIES
Responses from a workshop with Assembly members of the AMA 26 summed up the level of inaccessibility to
the UN-Habitat Slum characteristics as shown in Table 4 below. This also reflects adequacy of basic
infrastructure and services in slum communities in the city, including Ga Mashie. Though most communities
exhibit overcrowding, which is a housing issue, access to basic services including refuse collection, toilet
facilities and drainage was the highest deprivation for most slum communities in a recent survey at a
workshop. Table 6 below shows responses from a city consultation of Assembly members in the city using
the UN-Definition of Slums. Sanitation included toilet facilities and refuse disposal, water was on
accessibility to pipe-borne water, sufficient living space on room occupancy, durable housing on building
material and secure tenure on whether they faced a threat of forced eviction.
Table 6: Level of Deprivation of UN-Definition Characteristics for Defining Slums for Accra
NO SLUM CHARACTERISTIC (BASED ON UN DEFINITIONS)
LEVEL OF
INACCESSIBILITY (%)
1
Access to improved sanitation facilities (a private or public toilet shared
with a reasonable number of people)
62.7
2
Access to improved water (water that is sufficient, affordable and can
obtained without extreme effort)
54.6
3 Sufficient living area (no more than three people sharing a room) 53.8
4
Durable housing (a permanent structure providing protection from
extreme climatic conditions)
26 5 PSUP Citywide Workshop held in September 2011
49.5
20

NO SLUM CHARACTERISTIC (BASED ON UN DEFINITIONS)
5
Secure tenure (de facto or de jure secure tenure status and protection
against forced eviction)
LEVEL OF
INACCESSIBILITY (%)
It should however be noted that Ga Mashie, the selected community has sufficient living space (See table 4
above) as their highest level of inaccessibility at 95% due to overcrowding at both household and house
level as shown in table 3. (Response was the less accessibility to the characteristic the higher the
percentage)
Table 7 below is a list of the 10 worst and best slums in Accra with Figure 12 below also showing their
geographic locations in the city. The worst slums include the Usher Town of Ga Mashie, Mpoase and
Gbegbeyse, while the best slums include South and North Odorkor, Abossey Okai and Sabon Zongo. The
slums were selected according to their total score for all five characteristics with the slum with the highest
score being the worst and that with the lowest score being the best.
Worst Slums Best Slums
1 Usher Town South Odorkor
2 Mpoase North Odorkor
3 Gbegbeyse Abossey Okai
4 Agbogbloshie Sabon Zongo
5 Chorkor Mataheko
6 Old Fadama East Legon (Shiashie Village)
7 Nima South La (Beach Area, near La Road/
Fourth Otwe Street)
8 Kotobabi Russia
9 Adabraka Odawna Sukura
10 Ministries Area (MUSIGA and Independence Square) Mamponse
Figure 12: Best and Worse Slums in Accra
Source: Continuums of Vulnerability in the Slums of Accra, Ghana by Marta Jankowska, 2009
38.9
21

CHAPTER THREE
STAKEHOLDER ANALYSIS
3.1 IDENTIFIED KEY STAKEHOLDERS FOR CITY AND COMMUNITY LEVEL
PARTICIPATORY SLUM UPGRADING AND PREVENTION
Six major stakeholders are identified in the city in the general city development and slum development
in particular as described in Table 7 below.
Table 7: Stakeholder Analysis and Recommendations
Slum Community (land owners, tenants, family heads, family members, traditional council, CBOs
Analysis
- Multiple ownership of land and property and absence of title on their lands in the Ga Mashie
community leads to hesitation by investors including financial institutions and increase in risk of
community and subsequent interest rate on loans for housing improvement
- Late and discontinued communication with community on project will lead to a majority of
residents losing interest in
Recommendations
- Continuation of community entry meeting to at least monthly community meetings to update them
on progress of program
- Early education of the community on their responsibility and roles under the program and how
they affect other stakeholders
- Education of community on the different steps of the program and the need for transparency
- Involvement of community on decision making processes for the program
- Establishment of a clear and legitimate representative for each family in the community on the
program
City (AMA, GAMADA, Sub Metro and Assembly Members)
Analysis
- With their high level of interest and being the main implementation agency an unclear policy on
slums without a strategic approach to addressing the different types of slums, coupled with the
low collaboration with slum communities does not foster good development relationship with
communities
- Inadequate collaboration with other key stakeholders like the Ministries and development partners
including NGOs result in city missing out on opportunities for acquiring the necessary resources
for addressing slum issues
Recommendation
- Demonstrate strong leadership and commitment
- Develop a citywide policy and strategy on slum
- oordinate all other stakeholders in the implementation of the policy and strategy
- Ensure an annual budgetary allocation for implementing slum strategy
- Demonstrate mutual respect for slum communities and include them in the city’s development
and decision making processes
- The AMA in collaboration with the Ministries for Water Resources, Works and Housing and Local
Government and Rural Development should lead the establishment of a collaboration platform,
develop and agree on clear roles and responsibilities for each stakeholder for the implementation
of the PSUP and other similar programs
Ministries/ Department and Agencies (MLGRD, MWRW&H, MoLF, MoWAC, T&CPD, LAP)
Analysis
- With the incorporation of slum components in the reviewed Housing policy, the action plan of the
22

new Urban Policy and the new land use planning bill, there are clear guidelines for addressing
slum issues, and budgetary allocation can be made annually
- Current non-collaboration among geographic and numeric data collection agencies lead to difficult
analysis of data which lengthen project time
- Long bureaucratic processes for data and information acquisition also lead to lengthened project
time
- Inadequate funding for payment of compensation on land for housing and inadequate provision of
basic infrastructure facilities lead to eventual higher cost of housing
Recommendations
- Collaborate with sector agencies especially Statistical Services to ensure easy availability of data
and information on slum communities
- Make annual budgetary provisions to support slum upgrading programs in Accra and other cities
- Collaborate with the necessary sector ministries and development partners to ensure the successful
implementation of slum upgrading programs
- Facilitate the acquisition of low-cost land and housing for relocation and low-income housing
development both for rental and ownership
- Facilitate the acquisition of housing finance both for supply and demand sides
Academia (Universities, ISSER, BRRI, Earth Institute/ MCI)
Analysis
- Inadequate linkage of research to practice and non specialization of education curricular also
results in limited necessary human resources needed for slum upgrading and prevention
Recommendations
- Educational institutions should provide specialization options in their curricular for slum upgrading
and prevention
- Research institutions should collaborate with sector agencies, especially NGOs in developing
research to ensure that necessary information is collected for practical development
- The Ghana Statistical Services should collaborate with practitioners and NGOs in the development
of questionnaires to ensure the necessary information is collected and released at the needed level
(e.g. information at enumeration area level) for meaningful analysis for development
Private Sector (Service providers, banking and non-banking financial institutions, real estate
developers)
Analysis
- Presence of basic services, especially electricity in all slum communities either with secure or
insecure tenure makes it easier for any improvements or extension of electricity
- Though willing to provide services, especially for electricity, high costs and insecure land tenure
compel some slum dwellers to resort to illegal connections which are very difficult for the ECG to
track
- There are inadequate health facilities in most slum areas, where there is no guaranteed tenure
security
- Inadequate capacity of financial institutions and most private sector organizations including real
estate developers have led to their low participation in slum development
- A pre-paid system of operations by the private sector as is practiced in the telecommunication
industry could yield positive results in private sector participation in slum development
- Cooperation in the timely release of information for research purposes, especially for financial
institutions
Development Partners (UN-Habitat, EU, Brazil Embassy, Municipality of Amsterdam, UNESCO, Local and
International NGOs including CHF International, People’s Dialogue and Housing the Masses
Analysis
23

- Few NGOs work in the physical slum upgrading and prevention sector with most of them working
on the human development aspect
- Most NGOs who work in the slum areas work especially on sanitation and water
- Inadequate funding for substantial upgrading work in slums especially for housing improvement
- Little collaborative effort by NGOs and Development Partners thus resulting in duplication of efforts
and low impact in communities and to beneficiaries
- Adequate visibility of especially successful projects of DPs lead to increased project and program
funding
Recommendation
- More NGOs should be encouraged into the urban development, slum upgrading and prevention
sector
- There should be visible advocacy and dissemination of information on successful projects
- Slum residents should be assisted with facilitation of housing upgrading for the reduction of unsafe,
secure and inadequate housing in slums
- Clear partnerships with roles and responsibilities should be defined and included in any citywide
slum upgrading and prevention strategy, between city, communities and Development Partners
General For all Stakeholders
Analysis
Recommendation
- Each stakeholder both in the private and public sectors should provide policies and plans for slum
upgrading and prevention in their various institutions and provide budgets accordingly for
sustainable implementation and improvement of quality of life
24

4.1 LAND FOR HOUSING
CHAPTER FOUR
KEY COMPONENTS OF SLUM UPGRADING
Land is the primary medium for human settlement development and is needed for the many functions that
towns and cities of various forms, shapes and sizes perform. The larger the urban centre the greater the
demand for land and the more pronounced and complex the impacts of the various demands placed on land
have on the environment.
There are identified under-utilized and vacant lands in high income, low-density residential areas for
intensive redevelopment into first class, high quality mixed residential and commercial uses in Accra. There
are also isolated run-down buildings which can be developed into mixed commercial and residential
properties. There also exist public medium income housing estates that could also be converted into mixed
use facilities. 27
Population trends for Accra indicate an annual population increase of 4.4 percent. In 2000, the gross
population density was 10.03/ha compared to 6.23/ha in 1970 28 . Densities exceeding 250 persons/ha
occurs in dominant immigrant and slum areas especially in the oldest parts of the city such as Accra New
Town, Nima, James Town and Ussher Town. These communities exhibit intensive though ineffective usage
of the land considering the central location.
Land management remains a key constraint for effective growth in urban areas:
• The dual system of land delivery by traditional and public, and the lack of systematic planning at the
local level have created a complicated system of property rights;
• Existing revenue mechanisms like property tax rates add minimal value to the local government
own-source revenues;
• The poor have very limited access to decent shelter and are often forced to live in slums or
overcrowded settlements;
• The rapid demand for land has significantly increased land values in the central business districts,
so that they now are comparable to some European cities;
• Lack of property rights is having an impact on business development in urban areas; and
• District Assemblies have little authority and resources to undertake land management activities.
The characteristic of land economy in Ghana is the duality of land ownership and management between the
customary (informal) system and the state (formal) system. There does not exists a clear hierarchy of land
ownership in Accra. Usually, an investor has to deal with only one individual or a single stool or family. This
can pose serious threat to investment as to rightful ownership of a piece of land. To overcome this possible
minefield the acquirer must identify a vacant plot and convey this information to the occupant of the stool
concerned. Traditionally, a prospective grantee pays the shikpondaa – land drink, upon approaching an
occupant of a stool for a piece of land for development. The common practice currently is for a landowner
to prepare a layout of the area and a site plan extracted from the layout.
Land price in Accra is very high in comparison to that of other cities such as Kumasi, Tamale, and Sekondi
Takoradi. Whereas the average land price in most formal communities as shown in Table 8 below is GHC
556,416.7 (USD 348,085.90), that for Ga Mashie (Ngleshie Amanfro) is low at GHC 18,759 (USD
11,718.75). However, the area along the high street is valued at a much higher price due to its nearness to
the banking zone of the central business district of the city. Families have a potential of contributing land as
27 AMA Medium Term Development Plan, 2010-2013
28 Development of Cities of Ghana, World Bank, 2008
25

equity in any form of investor partnership for housing improvement. On the other hand, it is necessary for
land to be allocated for transit development in any housing improvement project.
Table 8: Land Prices in Accra
LOCATION COST /ACRE (GHC ) USD EQUIVALENT
Independence Avenue 882,000 551250
East Cantonments 362000 226250
East Legon 162000 101250
Laterbiokoshie 93750 62500
Hatso/ Kissieman 80000 50000
Ngleshie Amanfro 18750 11718.75
Dansoman 32500 20312.5
New Achimota 25000 15625
Achimota 35000 21875
Labone 2415000 1509375
Cantonements 2415000 1509375
Osu 156000 97500
Plot sizes and Housing Costs
The average residential plot size in formal areas in Accra is 650.3 square meters and with buildings covering
an average of 50% of plots, buildings sizes in these areas cover about 325 square meters whereas slum
areas have between 80 to 100% of their plots covered with their buildings. It is therefore clear that on the
average, most households in the city have much more space than needed, which should prompt the review
of the acceptable standard plot size for residential uses by law.
The Ghana Institute of Surveyors puts the average cost of housing in formal areas in Accra at GHC 206,363
(USD 137,575).
4.2 BASIC SERVICES AND INFRASTRUCTURE
The city of Accra has access to all basic services including electricity, water, sanitation (toilet, drainage,
refuse disposal), telecommunication etc; however, the level of accessibility is basically inadequate, with slum
areas having the lowest adequacy levels.
Health
Whereas all communities have access to a health facility (Figure 13 below shows the access to health
facilities in each community), some communities have very few health facilities in comparison to their
population. James and Ussher Towns though having populations between 32190 and 54590 have only one
health facility each, presenting huge stress on them and their health providers. Population figures for
Kisseman, Burma Camp, La Dadekopon however were not available.
Education and Health
Slum communities have fewer education facilities and pupils and students have to travel to other
communities to school. They also have very few Senior Secondary Schools. The Ga Mashie community has
only one school complex in James Town which ends at the Junior Secondary level, putting pressure on
them and resulting in the shift system. However, the abolishment of the shift system by the AMA will go a
long way to ease pressure off educational facilities, with the development of more schools in these
communities.
26

Electricity
All communities in the city including slums have access to electricity; however, new slums along the beach
do not have electricity. Discussions with the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) indicate that some houses
in squatter slums such as Old Fadama initially had legal access to electricity due to their policy of providing
houses with electricity once they applied for them. However, when this policy changed electricity meters,
which are handled by contractors, have led to illegal connections.
Though slum dwellers generally complain of high tariffs, the ECG only have subsidies for rural areas and not
in urban areas. Subsidies in slum communities will therefore be a new issue for discussion.
Circulation (Roads)
Whereas the city in general has accessibility in terms of roads its slums have less accessibility, with secure
slums like Ga Mashie (James and Ussher Towns) having main tarred roads and large blocks of residential
areas with only pedestrian access. This is mainly due to the informal nature of development where
individuals decide how to gain access to their dwellings and not the entire community. Figure 16 below
shows circulation patterns of slums in AMA.
4.3 FINANCE FOR HOUSING AND SLUM UPGRADING
Table 9: Mortgage Rates for Housing Finance in Ghana
Banks Mortgage Loan (APR)
Agricultural Development Bank 32.27
Barclays Bank 37.47
Ecobank 33.89
Ghana Commercial Bank 34.97
HFC Bank 34.08
Standard Chartered Bank 29.2
Stanbic Bank 39.93
Housing Finance in Ghana is generally high as shown in Table 9. With the high cost of housing, coupled
with high rates on mortgage financing, housing is a high cost commodity, especially in the Accra, being the
capital city. These high interest rates have led to a high 72.7% 29 of urban housing finance being through
personal savings and resulting to slow provision of housing. However, rental cost at between GHC 15 and
20 a month, is very low in comparison to general rental costs in the city at GHC 160 (USD 100) per month
from a rapid market survey.
29 Ghana Housing Profile, UN-HABITAT, 2010
27

KEY
COMPONENT
Basic
Infrastructure
and Services
Vehicular and
Pedestrian
Circulation
CHAPTER FIVE
RECOMMENDATIONS
RECOMMENDATION
• Development of access road with drains to at least a level that will allow access of
fire trucks to each house
• Development of flyovers to ease vehicular congestion in the metropolis.
• Implementation of the Bus Rapid Transit System (BRT) to encourage the mass
movement of people to ease vehicular congestion.
• Implementation of the intelligent traffic management system.
• Pavement of pedestrian access (alleys and walkways) that allow easy flow of
water
• Development of tram and mono-rail system
Toilets • Facilitation of provision of toilet to ensure one squat hole per 50 persons in a
community Facilitation and enforcement of toilet facility to service each house
• Ensure the availability of accessible toilet within a radius of 500 meters
Refuse • Increase community education on refuse separation for recycling, registration
and payment of fees.
• Increase door to door services of refuse collection
• Establish buy-back centers and refuse compost centers in all areas
• Complete the distribution of bins to all households and increase collection
times in areas with high refuse generation
• Establish a land fill site for refuse disposal.
Bathrooms • Facilitation and enforcement of bathroom for each house
Water • Extend water mains to all main roads for houses to tap into
• Sensitization of rain harvesting and boreholes.
• Facilitate water points within a maximum 200 meters radius of houses
Electricity and
Alternate Energy
sources
• Negotiations with ECG to establish subsidy for slum communities for each
family to have one meter
• Education of communities on efficient energy use
• Facilitation to ensure streets and main pedestrian areas have street lights
• Enforce lighting on the outside of houses
• Application of green technologies including windmills, solar and bio-gas.
Education • Construction of schools to a standard classroom to pupils ratio of 1:40
• Ensure all schools in slums receive their fair share of the GET fund
• Establish and implement program to sensitize youth on the importance of
education
Housing Finance
and Housing
• Assist slum communities with the development of layouts for upgrading to include
greenery and open spaces
• Assist families with acquisition of land titles or documented land documents for
the acquisition of loans for housing upgrading
• Educate slum communities on the importance of savings towards secure, safe
and decent housing
• Mobilize communities around savings and education on processes of formal
housing finance acquisition
28

KEY
COMPONENT
RECOMMENDATION
• Facilitate the formalization of the informal sector of slum dwellers by financial
institutions
• Facilitate the development of a comprehensive low-income housing product.
• Enforce construction of safe and sustainable buildings
• Facilitate the development of rental housing
• Facilitate the enforcement of rent control for affordable housing to the low-income
• Facilitate the establishment of a low-income housing market and register for the
city
• Facilitate extension of city component of the Ghana Housing Project to Ga
Mashie.
Land • Collaborate with sector ministries, agencies and other MMDAs to acquire lands
from their land banks and form city level land banks
• Encourage multi-storey redevelopment where necessary to make space for
additional housing and other support facilities
Gender and
Socio-Economic
Pro-Poor and
Participatory
Planning
• Ensure the development of a female youth program on the importance of
education and how it is negatively affected by teenage pregnancy
• Ensure persons with disability, living with AIDS and street children in slums have
a safe haven for a reasonable period
• Ensure housing and infrastructure constructed make provision for disabled
persons and children
• Facilitate and enforce the development of economic activities in houses in an
organized manner
• Educate community on taking advantage of ownership housing as an investment
and economic venture
• Collaborate with other agencies to provide business development services and
skill training programs for school drop-outs, other vulnerable groups and SMEs in
low-income communities.
• Improve participatory planning to be more inclusive and comprehensive – full
integration of physical and development planning.
• Target policies, plans, programs and projects to improve the quality of life of the
people, especially the poor, excluded and vulnerable.
• Implementation of policies that will enhance the employment opportunities of the
youth in slum areas
• Establishment of programs in collaboration with relevant traditional authorities,
NGOs, and agencies for the education of communities on dialoguing and
participating at the City level
29

POLICY AND REGULATORY
FRAMEWORK REVIEW
30

6.1 INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER SIX – POLICY AND REGULATORY FRAMEWORK REVIEW
Ghana has national policies that affect the housing and urban development sector some of which are
reflected in bye laws at the city level, which also affect housing and urban development issues including
slum upgrading and prevention. Whereas some policies affect slum upgrading and prevention positively,
others hinder activities either directly or indirectly.
Policies and bye-laws that affect the implementation of Accra’s city-wide slum upgrading and prevention
program and would apply for other cities in Ghana are outlined in Table 1 under section 2.0, with
recommendations to ensure mitigation or inclusion of provisions that will ensure the effective and
comprehensive implementation of a slum upgrading program in Accra and other cities of Ghana. The key
policies reviewed include the Constitution of Ghana, the Ghana Shared Growth and Development Agenda,
National Youth Policy, Draft Housing Policy, Draft Urban Policy, National Land Policy, Limitations Decree
and Act 462; at the national level, the city level legal framework includes the Act 462, Legal Instrument 1961,
the AMA bye-laws 1995 and the AMA Service Chatter.
31

6.2 POLICY AND REGULATORY FRAMEWORK REVIEW
Table 1: Policy and Regulatory Framework Review – Participatory Slum Upgrading and Prevention Program (PSUP)
Topics/ Issues Names (with
adoption year) of
policies, laws and
regulations
Community and
local economic
development:
poverty reduction,
job creation and
training/capacitybuilding
Urban heritage:
preservation,
economic
(tourism), and
religious and
cultural aspects.
1992 constitution of
the Republic of
Ghana
Ghana Shared
Growth and
Development
Agenda
(GSGDA), 2010-
2013 Volume 1:
Policy
Ghana Shared
Growth and
Development
Agenda
(GSGDA), 2010-
2013 Volume 1:
Policy
Provisions facilitating slum
upgrading
Section 18, sub section 1, which
states the right of all to own property
either alone or with others
Reviving traditional technologies,
developing local markets and gaining
access to internal markets. (Tourism)
Licensing and classification of formal
and informal tourism establishments;
and human resource capacity of
skilled and unskilled personnel in the
hospitality industry will be enhanced.
Preserve national heritage and
create wealth in the communities;
and develop domestic tourism
infrastructure including tourist
receptacles
Developing sustainable ecotourism,
culture and historical sites; and
Provisions
hindering slum
upgrading
Provision is very
weak and does not
state directly, thus
leaving the
responsibility to no
particular institution
or agency
Gaps and
contradictions
There is the gap of
stating clearly that
everyone has the
right to decent
housing and state
clearly government
agency responsible
to ensure that occurs
Recommendations for
improvements
Enactment of a housing law at the
national level for a legal basis of
providing housing especially for the
low-income at city and community
levels
None None Ministry and City programs should
reflect this provision for the benefit
of low-income communities
None Weak
implementation of
institutional
framework for
Creative arts industry
Industries relatedlaws
do not conform
to the tenets of the
copyright law and
contract.
Lack of access to
long-term financing.
Set up appropriate legal and
regulatory framework.
Facilitation of access to finance
and export market.
Full implementation of the new
National Tourism Law especially
sections on stakeholder
collaboration
32

Topics/ Issues Names (with
adoption year) of
policies, laws and
regulations
Rural-urban
linkages: urban
food security,
economic aspects
and remittances.
National Tourism
Policy
Ghana Shared
Growth and
Development
Agenda
(GSGDA), 2010-
2013 Volume 1:
Policy /Food and
Agriculture Sector
Provisions facilitating slum
upgrading
ensuring the elimination of
incidences of sex abuse and the
spread of sexually transmitted
diseases via the tourism industry.
1.3 Existing Policy Framework;
specific objectives relating to need
for upgrading and expanding the
stock for tourist attractions, facilities
and supporting infrastructure and
services
Ensure an effective linkage between
agriculture and industry.
Modernized agriculture for economic
transformation through job creation,
increased export earnings, food
security, and supply of raw materials
for value addition. This will contribute
to rural development and reduction in
the incidence of poverty.
4.1.3 Increased Agric
competitiveness and enhanced
integration into domestic and
international markets; Accelerated
development of feeder roads
Provisions
hindering slum
upgrading
Gaps and
contradictions
None Has no specific
provisions on old
communities or
slums
No direct linkage to
slums though most of
rural food sales
persons end up in
slum areas to sell
their wares.
Absence of up-to
date and
disaggregated
data/statistics
on the sector
to inform policy
making and
programming.
Lack of special
programmes for
training agricultural
labour and low
capacity Farmer
Based
Organisations
(FBOs) and
Community Based
Organisation (CBOs)
to access or Deliver
services.
Non availability of
farm input
maintenance.
Recommendations for
improvements
Provisions in respect to old
communities and slums should be
included
1. There should be provisions to
raise productivity and increase
production, agriculture
mechanization and acceleration of
best practices.
2. Provisions to promote
collaboration between public
agencies, private
companies, and consumers, and
between local and foreign research
institutions.
3. Provisions that will ensure
decent and secure housing in cities
for rural produce sellers when they
come to sell their produce to
prevent slums
33

Topics/ Issues Names (with
adoption year) of
policies, laws and
regulations
Development Policy
(FASDEP II)
/Medium-Term
Agricultural Sector
Investment Plan
(METASIP)
Gender, youth
and HIV/AIDS:
recognition,
participation,
rights/equality
(gender
mainstreaming in
all policies),
regulations, and
enforcement.
Ghana Shared
Growth and
Development
Agenda
(GSGDA), 2010-
2013 Volume 1:
Policy Framework
National Youth
Policy
Local Government
Instrument, 2009
(L.I. 1961)
Provisions facilitating slum
upgrading
Promote healthy lifestyles to: 1.
Ensure the reduction of new HIV and
AIDS/STI/TB transmission; 2. Ensure
reduction of the impact of HIV and
AIDS-related morbidity
and mortality; and mitigate the
negative socio-cultural effect of HIV
and AIDS, and enhance
their proper management
Provisions are geared towards the
welfare of the youth including the
poor
Social Welfare and Community
Development (8) (1) and (2)
Provisions
hindering slum
upgrading
Gaps and
contradictions
Lack of Comparative
advantage for food
security.
Recommendations for
improvements
Strengthening the Research
Extension-Farmer
Linkages (RELCs) through private
public partnership.
None None Enforcement of laws that give
women land rights
Facilitates the
welfare of the
disabled, children
and socio-economic
issues of families
Though the policy
has been passed,
implementation has
not commenced
Implementation of the National
Youth Policy at both national and
city levels
None Effective implementation of the
Section by Cities
34

Topics/ Issues Names (with
adoption year) of
policies, laws and
regulations
Urban
governance:
decentralization,
delegation of
power and
resources (urban
finance including
taxation) and
institutional set- up
1992 Constitution
of the Republic of
Ghana
Draft Urban Policy
Provisions facilitating slum
upgrading
Section 240, (1) mandates
governance at the local level in a
decentralized manner
Section 240 (c ) mandates the
establishment of a sound financial
base with adequate and reliable
sources of revenue for each local
government unit
None apart from a scanty definition of
slum, however, Action plan contains
provision
Act 462,1993, Section 10, sub section 3 mandates
District Assembly is responsible for
the overall development of plans and
budget for the approval of the district
by the Ministry of Finance and RCC
Provisions
hindering slum
upgrading
Gaps and
contradictions
None Needs specific
provisions on
percentage of
national budget for
slum upgrading and
prevention
No provision on
slum upgrading thus
slum policy needed
The provisions are
too general, thus
leaving local and
national levels only
focusing on formal
areas without any
attention to slum
areas
Cities usually lack
the capacity to
comprehensively
address slum
upgrading and
prevention issues
and liaise with slum
dwellers
Policy needs direct
provisions or proper
linkage to the policy’s
action plan
There are no specific
slum upgrading
interventions except
for overall
development
Recommendations for
improvements
Enactment on housing for the legal
facilitation of provision of lowincome
housing by the ministry of
Water Resources, Works and
Housing; and cities
Implementation of Housing Policy,
which has such provision
There should be clear policy
guidelines from which actions
should stem
The planning mandate of MMDAs
is silent on housing, making it only
implied and should be explicit to
ensure they facilitation provision
Education on policies, bye-laws
and permit processes
Percentage of DACF 2% on
capacity building should be
instituted as a policy to be used for
capacity building on slum
upgrading and prevention
35

Topics/ Issues Names (with
adoption year) of
policies, laws and
regulations
Legislative
Instrument 1961
Land tenure: city
boundaries, land
ownership, land
management and
administration
(including plot size
standards),
security of tenure,
forced eviction
compensation,
resettlement, rental
AMA Bye-Laws
1995
1992 Constitution
Provisions facilitating slum
upgrading
Decentralization of departments in
the LI allows comprehensive
planning and development
Third Schedule, Regulation 4,
Sections 2,3,4,5, 7 and 8
decentralizes Finance, Education,
youth and sports, health, waste
management, physical planning,
social welfare and community
development departments
Environmental sanitation day;
Schedule paragraph 1, sub se
Public Lands from the
Constitution of Ghana Section 257,
Sub section 1. All public lands in
Ghana shall be vested in the
president on behalf of and in trust for,
the people of Ghana.
Stool and Skin Lands and Property
from the Constitution of Ghana
Section 267, Sub section 1. All
stool lands in Ghana shall be vested
in the appropriate stool on behalf of
and in trust for the subjects of the
Provisions
hindering slum
upgrading
Directs the
development of all
settlements which
includes slums,
(both squatter and
that with secure
tenure)
Solid and Liquid
waste Management
section 6
Provisions on land
subsidy for lowincome
housing
should be made
Gaps and
contradictions
Whereas provisions
favor residents
communities with
secure tenure, no
opportunities are
available for squatter
communities
Whereas the city has
banned the use of
pan latrines, section
6 still permits it
Bye-laws have good
provisions but most
of them are not
enforced
There are no
provisions to provide
or subsidize land to
the low income
Though the stools
and skins have the
vested authority they
are limited authority
in its administration
Recommendations for
improvements
That a clear and sustainable
provisions are made for squatter
slum dwellers to allow them to
make sustainable housing
decisions
Review of all obsolete provisions
including section 6
There should be agreement
between land owners and
Authorities for the development of
buildings for slum dwellers.
Though the provision is being
implemented, there is the need to
ensure their adherence to planning
laws
36

Topics/ Issues Names (with
adoption year) of
policies, laws and
regulations
systems and
institutional set-up
National Land
Policy, 1999.
Draft National
Housing Policy,
2010
Limitations decree,
1972, Section 10
Provisions facilitating slum
upgrading
stool in accordance with customary
law and usage.
3.1 Guiding Principles indicates
“the principle of fair access to land
and security of tenure”
4.3 Security of Tenure and
Protection of Land Rights
Makes provision for various
ownership types to be recognized as
having title to land (Sub section “c”
and “d” of section 2.2)
Provisions
hindering slum
upgrading
Gaps and
contradictions
especially titling
None No clear provisions
on land banks
Recommendations for
improvements
There should be clear provisions
on land banks at both the national
level and the city level
None None Issues outlined under sub sections
should be comprehensively
addressed to ensure the effective
implementation of sections 3.1 and
4.3
Section 4.4 None None Effective and collaborative
implementation among key
ministries and cities particularly,
Ministry of Local Government and
Rural Development and Ministry of
Water Resources, Works and
Housing
No action shall be brought to recover
any land after the expiration of twelve
years from the date on which the
right of action accrued to the person
bringing it or, if it first accrued to
some person through whom he
claims, to that person
None The law is
controversial, due to
the land ownership
structure of Ghana
and prolongs
upgrading period
and also could incite
Review of section 10 of the decree
to ensure smooth implementation
There should be the enforcement
of the land utilization regulation
policy at both the national and city
37

Topics/ Issues Names (with
adoption year) of
policies, laws and
regulations
Basic Services
and
infrastructure:
coverage, subsidy
systems,
institutional set-up
of delivery
systems, norms
and fee structure
Draft Planning
Standards and
Zoning Regulations
(2010)
AMA Bye-laws,
1995
Provisions facilitating slum
upgrading
Residential Zone C: Reduction of
plot size to 110 square meters
specially for housing development in
low-income and informal settlements
Act 462 of 1993 Section 10, sub section 3 (a): District
Assemblies shall “ be responsible for
the overall development of the district
and shall ensure the preparation and
submission through the regional coordinating
council”
Section 10, sub section 3 (b): DAs
shall “formulate and execute plans,
programs and strategies for the
effective mobilization of the
resources necessary for the overall
development of the district”
Provisions
hindering slum
upgrading
Gaps and
contradictions
ethnic conflicts level
None The regulations may
take a long time to
pass, thus prolonging
implementation
Solid and Liquid
Waste Management ,
Section 6
Though city has
banned pan latrines
the provision is still in
its bye-laws
Section 55 Due to the general
nature of the
provisions the DA
has the discretion of
choosing areas to
implement service
and infrastructure
projects and slums
are usually the least
priority areas
Fees for permit and
the long and
cumbersome permit
process contribute to
proliferation of slums
Recommendations for
improvements
There should be expedited
approval of the regulations and its
implementation
The AMA should review and
update the provision on the basis
of the new initiative
Provisions should be clear on
MMDA responsibility on housing
provision apart from that for the
Assembly to make them active
facilitators in housing provision
Building permit procedures should
be reviewed by cities to ensure a
shorter and less cumbersome
procedure and lower permit fees
for organized development
38

Topics/ Issues Names (with
adoption year) of
policies, laws and
regulations
Draft National
Urban Policy, 2010
Housing finance:
Coverage,
affordability, micro-
finance,
institutional set-up,
oversight, and
guarantees.
Draft National
Housing Policy,
2010
Ghana Housing
Profile, 2010
Provisions facilitating slum
upgrading
KEY URBAN GROWTH AND
DEVELOPMENT CHALLENGES of
the National Urban Policy 2010
2.2.2 Poor Spatial Planning: In the
absence of proper settlement and
spatial planning, and enforcement of
development regulation, there is
rapid, uncontrolled, sprawl of
residential development to the city
fringes, with a gross lack of basic
infrastructure and services.
Section 4.8.2: Infrastructure
Inventory
CHAPTER 7. HOUSING FINANCE.
Page 154
Ghana has little formal-sector
Finance to offer to the majority of
prospective home-owners.
CHAPTER 7. HOUSING FINANCE.
Page 154; in the cycle of decline,
each financial institution had turned
to the high-income market for a safe
environment for its lending.
Institutional, Legal and Regulatory
Frameworks Governing Housing
Finance Page 156. The fluctuating
micro-economic environment with
high interest rates and high yielding
Provisions
hindering slum
upgrading
Gaps and
contradictions
None The Policy makes
references to the
Land Use Planning
and Zoning
Regulations in its
action plan but not in
the policy document
itself
None There are no specific
provisions in the
policy on
infrastructure
inventory related to
slum housing
None There are no
provisions on
subsidies for lowincome
groups that
prove a certain
savings capacity
There are no
provisions restricting
interest rates on lowincome
housing
either for demand or
supply side
Recommendations for
improvements
Effective discussions and
agreement by the Ministry with
cabinet for their rapid approval of
the policy and its comprehensive
implementation
Strengthen collaboration between
local governments, Traditional
authorities and service providers
Efficient and collaborative
Implementation of policy by the
Ministry of Water Resources,
Works and Housing
Institution and establishment of city
level low-income housing finance
facilities for guarantees and also
for cities to collaborate with NGOs
and the UN-Habitat to negotiate
with especially local banks to
ensure low-income housing
finance
Promotion of use of suitable
alternative building materials by
national governments,
manufacturers and NGOs in
general to reduce the cost of
housing
Effective discussions with cabinet
39

Topics/ Issues Names (with
adoption year) of
policies, laws and
regulations
Housing
construction and
delivery systems:
production and
commercialization
of building
materials,
technologies,
taxation/ subsides,
building codes/ by-
laws, building
permits, housing
cooperatives,
public/private rental
housing, self- help
construction,
institutional set-up
Draft National
Housing Policy,
2010
AMA Service
Chatter
Provisions facilitating slum
upgrading
treasury bills, had led many lenders
to invest.
4.10 Building Materials and
Construction Technology
City policy of three (3 ) months for
processing building permit
Provisions
hindering slum
upgrading
Gaps and
contradictions
None Though the city’s
policy is to process
building permits
within 3 months, it is
processed at a
longer period than 3
months
Provision allows
squatters to acquire
property legally and
change their status
to legal owners
Though the policy
states three (3)
months permits
usually take much
longer, discouraging
builders from apply
for permits
Recommendations for
improvements
by the Ministry of Water
Resources, Works and Housing for
approval and comprehensive
implementation of the policy
Effective marketing of locally
developed building materials by
those who develop them and
national government initiative of
using pozollana should be effected
and artisans trained to use
materials and technology
Provision on permit processing in
city should be enforced to shorten
the permit process
Capacity building for Technical
staff at city level on project
management, GIS application in
planning, permitting, development
control , monitoring, project
monitoring and evaluation
Additional technical support for the
Planning unit and Town and
Country Planning
40

6.3 CONCLUSION
Policies at national and city level are the basis for development at the city and community levels and should
therefore be pro slum upgrading to ensure the implementation of effective slum upgrading and prevention
programs and projects. These policies and regulatory framework give the legal basis for both slum upgrading
and prevention programs and mobilization of resources especially financial for their implementation.
For such programs and projects to be developed and implemented, it is important to know what pertains in the
city and their implications to slum upgrading and prevention and how to address that as well as which regulatory
framework could be used for the development and implementation. Thus, recommendations from the citywide
situation analysis and this policy review will inform the development of a citywide strategy for implementation.
The citywide strategy should therefore include components that will address these recommendations both at the
national and local government levels to facilitate the provision of the necessary legal, technical and financial
resources. This will ensure effective implementation of the citywide strategy for the necessary impact in
communities including Ga Mashie, the project community.
41

CITYWIDE SLUM UPGRADING AND
PREVENTION STRATEGY
42

CHAPTER SEVEN – SLUM UPGRADING AND PREVENTION STRATEGY
7.1 INTRODUCTION
The Accra Citywide Slum Upgrading and Prevention Strategy is focused around three basic themes as in the
situation analysis and policy and regulatory review; Land, Basic Services and Infrastructure and Housing and
Housing Finance. However, due to institutional arrangements for implementation, relevant stakeholders have
also been considered to ensure the smooth implementation of the program. The strategy addresses issues on a
citywide level with a focus on the project community, Ga Mashie.
7.2 OBJECTIVES
The overall objective is to upgrade slum communities in the city beginning with Ga Mashie, with the aim of
providing employment opportunities and increasing their housing availability and affordability, through
employment creation, land regularization, improvement in education and expansion of basic services and
infrastructural facilities.
43

7.3 COMPONENTS OF THE STRATEGY
The strategy is divided into four sections made up of the priority intervention areas and action plans followed by activity, outputs and responsible
stakeholders for priority action under the intervention areas. This is also followed by a monitoring and evaluation matrix of the outputs under the
priority actions for the determination of the success of the strategy during implementation.
7.4 PRIORITY INTERVENTION AREAS AND ACTION PLANS
Table 1: Priority Intervention Areas of Upgrading Elements and Priority Actions for Implementation
Upgrading
Element
Priority
Intervention
Area
Land City/ Land
Owner Land
Planning
Collaboration
Land Banking
Land Title
Acquisition
Policy
Implementation
on
Development
Densities
Priority Action Expected Accomplishments and Time
Frame
Short Term
2012-2014
“
Medium Term
2015-2017
Long Term
2018-2020
Establish a land owner-planner–resident committee for the development of
a citywide land use planning at city level
Facilitate the establishment of Customary Land Secretariat (CLS) and
Strengthen the Accra Planning Committee for the facilitation of upgrading
of land use and zoning documents to avoid the upspring of new slums
“
Update and implement land use plan and zoning plan and update
periodically, including slum area, to avoid the upspring of new slums
“ “
Establish a land owner-government negotiations committee “ “ “
Negotiate with land owners on prices for large tracts of land for low-income
housing development
“
Acquire land and develop register and map for allotments with locations at
city level
Expand collaboration with the Land Administration Project (LAP) to assist
slum residents starting with Ga Mashie to acquire land titles for their lands
“ “
Detailed survey of communities to establish houses without titles “ “
Establishment of a Secure Slum Community Land Titling program “
Collaboration with Land Administration Program for the development of
title for houses in secure tenure communities without titles
“ “ “
Implementation of the slum components of the National Housing Policy
and National Urban Policy Action Plan
“
Advocate for the approval of the Land Use Planning and Zoning
Regulations and implementation of Section 1.3 : Description of
Development Zones, – Residential Zone C and Tourist
“
Review and enforcement of sections of the Maximum rent charged by “ “
44

Upgrading
Element
Basic
Services and
Infrastructure
Priority
Intervention
Area
Roads and
Circulation
Construction of
Basic School
Buildings
Construction/
Rehabilitationof
Hospitals and
Markets
Refuse
management
and Recycling
Priority Action Expected Accomplishments and Time
landlords, under the Rent Control Act.
Establishment of Ministry of Housing and Urban Development as has been
proposed by the current Ministry in charge of Housing
Frame
Short Term
2012-2014
Medium Term
2015-2017
“ “
Long Term
2018-2020
Re-alignment for development of roads with storm water drains, walkways
and alleyways to allow access of fire trucks to houses from standard
distance between 200ft and 300ft fire hydrants and houses where
necessary and development of flyovers
“ “ “
Pavement of roads, walkways and alleyways “ “ “
Development and implementation maintenance plans for roads, walkways
and alleyways
“ “
Elaborate School Expansion plan (including current situation, estimations
for new school blocks/schools, identification of locations, identification of
partners)
“ “ “
Mobilize additional funds for construction of schools and construct schools “ “ “
Equip schools with teachers and necessary teaching aid “ “ “
Construction of 11 hospitals and 15 markets in or close to slum
communities
“ “ “
Educate Ga Mashie community and others on refuse separation for
recycling
Expansion of house collection system to all households in Ga Mashie and
other slum communities
“
Construct engineered landfill “ “
Improve on recycle system in Ga Mashie especially for compost and
plastic bags in Ga Mashie and other slum areas, based on existing ones in
Ga Mashie
“ “ “
Increase of Facilitate the provision of water in areas with low water supply through “ “
45

Upgrading
Element
Housing
Finance
Priority
Intervention
Area
Priority Action Expected Accomplishments and Time
water supply water points to a minimum of 37 litres/day/person
Educate citizens on wise use of water and importance of maintenance and
repairs through the design and implementation of an education program.
Develop water mains at all major roads with negotiations with Ghana
Water Company on a one household per meter program
Household
Electricity
Expansion
Instilling
Savings
Culture in
Communities
Development
of Low-Income
Housing
Finance
Product
Educate communities on efficient energy use in collaboration with National
Center for Civic Education
Negotiations through national and local government with Electricity
Company of Ghana and communities for a one household pre meter
program.
Expansion of Streetlights
Enforcement of outside lights on every house
Frame
Short Term
2012-2014
Medium Term
2015-2017
Long Term
2018-2020
“ “ “
“ “ “
“ “ “
“ “
“ “ “
Collaborate with existing housing based savings groups to organize slum
communities into federations
“ “
Educate federations on savings and organize them into savings groups “ “
Register savings groups and federations for their continued collection of
savings towards housing and other needs
“ “
Establishment of the city level housing need to include societal income
groups and needs
“ “
Establishment of sources of finance for demand and supply sides of
housing finance
“
Establishment of City-level housing finance facility “ “
Provide financially sustainable housing models for new build low-cost
housing and housing upgrading
“ “
Collaborate with relevant academic and research institutions to achieve
low-cost building designs, technology and materials for low-income
housing
“ “
46

7.5 ACTIVITIES, OUTPUTS AND RESPONSIBLE STAKEHOLDERS FOR PRIORITY ACTIONS
Table 2: Activities and Outputs under Priority Actions
Priority Action Activity
Short Term
2012-2013
LAND
Facilitate the
establishment of
Customary Land
Secretariat (CLS)
and Strengthen
the Accra
Planning
Committee for
the facilitation of
upgrading of
land use and
zoning
documents to
avoid the
upspring of new
slums
Update AMA land
use plan and
zoning plan and
update
periodically
Identify
stakeholders
and provide
technical and
logistic
capacity to the
CLS and the
Accra Planning
Committee;
inaugurate
them and
development of
terms of
reference for
operations
Identify
Consultants,
conduct public
education and
sensitization
and draft land
use and zoning
maps and
plans
Medium Term
2014-2016
Organize
subsequent
meetings for
reviews and
updates
Development and
Updating of land
use and zoning
maps and plans
Long Term
2017-2020
Updating of
land use and
zoning maps
and plans
Updating of
land use and
zoning maps
and plans
Estimated
Cost (GHC)
Estimated
Cost (USD)
465,000 310,000 Established
AMA Land use
planning
stakeholder
committee; A
properly
functioning
Accra Planning
Committee and
operations
document
1,332,000 888,000 Initial and
annually
Updated
citywide land
use plan, map
and zoning
map and
ordinance
Output Location Responsible
Stakeholder
Accra AMA, MLGRD,
MWRW&H, Ga
Traditional
Council, Lands
Commission,
Executives of
Various
Neighborhood
Associations,
Assembly men
Accra AMA,
Consultants,
Country Team,
Citizen
Representatives,
NGO,
Development
Partners
Establish a land Identify and Negotiate with Creation of 295,000 184,375 Negotiations Accra Land owners,
47

Priority Action Activity
Short Term
2012-2013
ownergovernment
negotiations
committee for
land
identification,
investigation and
negotiations
Acquire land and
develop register
and map for
allotments and
locations
Collaboration
with Land
Administration
Program for the
development of
title for houses in
secure tenure
communities
without titles
Medium Term
2014-2016
invite
land owners to
stakeholders to establish an all
include stakeholder
ministers and accepted land
mayors and acquisition
negotiate for process for
land in and available lands
around AMA
and develop
register of
identified lands
N/A Pay for
compensation for
land and register
for specific land
use
Conduct
detailed survey
on families
without titles
based on CHF/
Land
Administration
Program pilot
project in Ga
Mashie and
develop
program based
Expand titling
program to 10
other
communities
Long Term
2017-2020
new land due
to rezoning
and
redevelopment
Pay for
compensation
for land and
register for
specific land
use
Estimated
Cost (GHC)
Estimated
Cost (USD)
14,250,000 9,156,250 Land bank for
housing
development
with map and
text register
N/A 8,250,000 5,156,250 Properties
issued with title
in readiness
for acquisition
of housing
finance
Output Location Responsible
Stakeholder
and Arbitration
AMA, Lands
committee and
Commission,
Land bank for
MWRW&H,
specific land
MLNR, MLGRD,
uses
Ga East, Ga
West, Ledzor
Kuku Krowo,
Adentan
Municipalities
Accra/
Outside
Accra
Ga Mashie
and 10
other slum
communities
in Accra
AMA, Land
Owners, Ministry
of Lands,
Ministry of Water
Resources
Works and
Housing
Ga Mashie and
other beneficiary
communities,
AMA,
Implementing
partners of
Ghana,
Implementing
partner, Land
Administration
Program,
48

Priority Action Activity
Short Term
2012-2013
Medium Term
2014-2016
Long Term
2017-2020
Estimated
Cost (GHC)
Estimated
Cost (USD)
Sub Total
on Ga Mashie
pilot and
expand Ga
Mashie titling
program to
complete
community
24,592,000 15,370,000
BASIC SERVICES AND INFRASTRUCTURE
Housing realignment
for
development of
roads with storm
water drains,
walkways and
alleyways
(access way
improvement
program) to allow
fire truck access
of 200ft-300ft
between fire
hydrants and
houses
Elaborate school
expansion plan
(including
current situation,
Community
education and
sensitization on
housing
realignment
and
identification of
areas,
assessment
and
construction of
roads, drains,
walkways and
alleys in Ga
Mashie with
maintenance
plans
Conduct
assessment in
all slums and
document,
Implementation of
access way
improvement
program to other
slum
communities
Construct
classrooms and
equip with
teachers and
Further
expansion of
program and
implementation
of
maintenance
plan,
monitoring and
evaluation
Monitor and
evaluate
annually for
improvement
27,859,999 17,412,499 Paved roads,
walkways and
alleyways and
constructed
drains in Ga
Mashie and
other identified
slum
communities
2,059,999 1,287,499 List of sub
metros and
number of
classrooms
Output Location Responsible
Stakeholder
Ga Mashie
and five
other slum
communities
Entire
Communities of
Ga Mashie and
five other slum
communities,
identified
affected
members of
communities,
AMA, contractor,
Implementing
Partner,
Accra Implementing
Partner/
Consultant
49

Priority Action Activity
Short Term
2012-2013
estimations for
new school
blocks/ school,
identification of
locations and
partners
Construction/
Rehabilitation of
11 Hospitals and
15 markets in or
close to slum
communities
Facilitate the
provision of
water in areas
with low water
supply through
water points
(commercial or
boreholes)
conduct
procurement
process and
commence
construction in
Ga Mashie,
identify more
funding
sources
Identify project
communities
and conduct
sensitization on
projects for
participation
and bye-in
Discuss
findings and
way forward
with relevant
water providing
agencies,
develop
proposals for
water
improvement
and develop
and implement
water
Medium Term Long Term Estimated Estimated Output Location Responsible
2014-2016 2017-2020 Cost (GHC) Cost (USD)
Stakeholder
teaching aid needed for
establishment
Develop
maintenance
plans for facilities
and construct
facilities
Procure
contractors for
works and
commence works
in identified slum
communities and
monitor and
evaluate for
improvement
Implement
maintenance
plans and
improve on
construction
for future
projects if
necessary
Continue
works in
identified slum
communities,
monitor and
evaluate for
improvement
769,000,000 480,625,000 11 hospitals
with workers
and 15
markets with
stall/ shop
owners
5,600,000 3,500,000 Additional
water points
provided in to
facilitate inhouse
water
connection by
families in 10
slum
communities
Accra
including Ga
Mashie and
Nima
Accra
including Ga
Mashie
AMA, Ministry of
Health, Private
Sector
Ga Mashie and
9 other slum
communities,
AMA, Ghana
Water Company,
Implementing
partner,
Contractors
50

Priority Action Activity
Short Term
2012-2013
education plan
in communities
Sanitation
improvement
with employment
generation
Improve
Electricity by
negotiations and
expansion of
streetlight and
implementing
bye-laws on
outside lights in
houses, through
national and
local government
between
Electricity
Company of
Ghana and
communities (Ga
Land
acquisition and
social bye-in
for recycle
centers;
development of
recycle
program
including
refuse
separation
program
Facilitate
negotiations
between
Electricity
Company of
Ghana and
communities to
develop and
implement one
household per
meter program
commencing in
Ga Mashie in
collaboration
with relevant
sector
Medium Term
2014-2016
Construct recycle
centers and
training of staff
from community
Expand one
household per
meter program to
other sub metros
in city and
development and
implementation of
streetlight
improvement
program and
implement byelaws
on outside
lights
Long Term
2017-2020
Expand
recycling
program to top
5 sub-metro
with most slum
populations
Monitor and
evaluate
program for
necessary
improvement
and replication
in other
communities
Estimated
Cost (GHC)
Estimated
Cost (USD)
830,000 518,750 Completely
constructed
engineered
landfill
11,337,866 7,086,166 One electricity
meter installed
per beneficiary
households
Output Location Responsible
Stakeholder
Accra Community
members, AMA
including
relevant
Assembly
members,
contractors,
Implementing
Partner and
NGOs
Ga Mashie
and 10
other slum
communities
in Accra
Ga Mashie and
other beneficiary
communities,
AMA, Electricity
Company of
Ghana,
Implementing
partner,
Contractors
51

Priority Action Activity
Short Term
2012-2013
Mashie and 10
other
communities in
the remaining 10
sub metros) for a
one household
pre meter
program.
ministries; and
development of
bye-laws on
outside lights
Medium Term
2014-2016
Long Term
2017-2020
Estimated
Cost (GHC)
Estimated
Cost (USD)
Sub Total 816,687,864 510,429,915
HOUSING/ HOUSING FINANCE
Organize slum Educate Continuous N/A 500,000 312,500 Federation
communities into federations on collection and
attendance
savings
savings and acquisition of
and savings
federations in register them land or
registers and
preparation for as an entity housing by
federation
housing finance
federation
registration
and register them
certificates
Educate
federations on
savings and
organize train
them on savings
and microfinance
in Ga
Mashie and 10
other slums
Develop
training and
education
programs and
implement
them
Assist
organized
economic
groups to
access existing
Micro and
Small Loans
Center
(MASLOC)
loans in Ga
Mashie and 3
Evaluate savings
and loans
program and
expand to 10
other sub-metros
with any
necessary
changes based
on evaluation
500,000 312,500 Increased
savings and
micro-finance
loans given to
community
members
Output Location Responsible
Stakeholder
Ga Mashie
and all
identified
slum
communities
in Accra
Ga Mashie
and in 10
other
communities
in 10 sub
metros
Ga Mashie and
other beneficiary
slum
communities,
AMA including
cooperatives
unit, NGOs,
Implementing
partner
Ga Mashie and
other
communities,
AMA,
Implementing
partner,
NGOs/Microfinance
consultants
52

Priority Action Activity
Short Term
2012-2013
Establishment of
city level finance
facility
Establishment of
citywide housing
need based on
income groups to
include low
income and
development of
sustainable lowincome
housing
product with
eligibility criteria
Collaborate with
relevant
academic and
research
institutions to
achieve low-cost
Identification
and acquisition
of sources of
funds for facility
and seed
capital and
map and
revalue all
property not
mapped under
the UMLIS
project
Definition of
target groups
with eligibility
criteria, and
negotiations
with sources of
finance for
demand and
supply sides of
housing
finance
Identify all
relevant
institutions in
the building
materials and
technology
Medium Term
2014-2016
communities
Property
mapping and
revaluation
and study of
existing
facilities
including UN-
Habitat Slum
Upgrading
Facility for the
establishment
of facility
Undertake pilot
project to
evaluate and
improve for
replication in
other slum
areas
Implement
research
collaboration in
partnership
with
practitioners
Long Term
2017-2020
Monitor and
evaluate facility
annually for
improvement
Facilitate
investorbeneficiary
meetings for
expansion of
program
Evaluate program
and improve
based on
evaluation for
implementation of
development low-
Estimated
Cost (GHC)
Estimated
Cost (USD)
12,000,000 7,500,000 Property
register
database and
citywide
property maps
created and
city housing
finance facility
established
500,000 312,500 Citywide
housing stock
database
created and
with electronic
application
process
established
300,000 187,500 Documented
established
and
implementable
research
findings for use
Output Location Responsible
Stakeholder
Accra AMA, GoG
(Ministry of
Water
Resources,
Works and
Housing, Other
relevant sector
Ministries),
Implementing
partner, UN-
Habitat
Accra AMA,
Community
Reps, NGOs,
Ministry of Water
Resources,
Works and
Housing, NGOs,
Financial
institutions and
Real Estate
developers
Accra and
other cities
in the
country
AMA, NGOs,
Ministry of Water
Resources,
Works and
Housing,
Building and
53

Priority Action Activity
Short Term
2012-2013
building designs,
technology and
materials for lowincome
housing
sector and
design
research
collaboration
programs with
them
Medium Term
2014-2016
Long Term
2017-2020
income housing
products
Estimated
Cost (GHC)
Estimated
Cost (USD)
Sub Total 13,800,000 8,625,000
Implementation of recommendations on Policies and Legal and Regulatory Framework
Approval and Advocate at Implementation N/A 360,000 225,000 Annual report
implementation Cabinet level in of all
on
of National collaboration necessary
implementation
Housing Policy with sector sections of
and National ministries for Acts
Urban Policy, approval of
Review of policy, Review
relevant sections of sections of
of Limitations Rent Control
Decree, Rent and Limitations
control Law and Decree Acts
other relevant and source
regulatory funding for
documents implementation
Advocate Advocacy and Education and N/A 60,000 37,500 Land Use Law
approval and negotiations for Role
and updated
implementation approval of Bill assignment for
AMA land use
of Land Use and
all involving
map and plan
Planning Bill and implementation stakeholders
AMA land use of AMA land including
plan and use plan sector
incorporation of through Ministries and
Output Location Responsible
Stakeholder
by practitioners Road Research
Institutes
Accra and
National
Ministry of Water
Resources,
Works and
Housing; NGOs
Accra Ministry of
Environment,
Ministry of Local
Government and
Rural
Development,
Town and
Country
54

Priority Action Activity
Short Term Medium Term Long Term Estimated Estimated Output Location Responsible
2012-2013 2014-2016 2017-2020 Cost (GHC) Cost (USD)
Stakeholder
slum upgrading
component in
AMA Medium
Term Plan
enforcement Departments Planning, AMA
Facilitation for
the
establishment of
a Ministry of
Housing and
Urban
Development
Advocacy and
negotiations at
cabinet level
and public
awareness
creation on
necessity for
proposed
ministry
Concept note
and cabinet
memo
development,
program and
budget and
approval by
cabinet
Implementation
of programs,
resource
mobilization and
budget allocation
105,000 65,625 Established
Ministry of
Housing and
Urban
Development
Sub Total 525,000 328,125
Institutional Strengthening and Stakeholder Collaboration
Strengthen Identify Monitor and N/A 500,000 312,500 Well trained
capacity of AMA capacity needs evaluate
City Planning
Planning Units, for institutions, program and
Units,
relevant
develop improve if
ministries and
Ministries program and necessary
universities on
Academia, implement
slum issues
communities and
and
NGOs to work
together on
upgrading
program and
partnership
National Parliamentary
Select
Committees on
Works and
Housing,
MWRW&H,
MLGRD, MES,
Town and
Country
Planning, NGOs,
Development
Partners,
Cabinet
Accra AMA Planning
Units, Ministry of
Local
Government and
Rural
Development,
Ministry of Water
Resources,
Works and
Housing,
selected
55

Priority Action Activity
Short Term Medium Term Long Term Estimated Estimated Output Location Responsible
2012-2013 2014-2016 2017-2020 Cost (GHC) Cost (USD)
Stakeholder
projects universities,
NGOs
Community Develop Replicate Replicate
300,000 187,500 Well informed Ga Mashie Implementing
sensitization and programs and program in program in other
community and other Partner,
education implement other slum slum
with higher slum Beneficiary
program on
communities communities and
employment communities communities,
importance of
and evaluate evaluate for
opportunities in Accra AMA
education and
for
improvement
employment
generation
improvement
Establish Establish Update Conduct and 1,000,000 625,000 Collaboration Accra AMA,
collaboration framework for research update research
Framework
universities and
with universities collaboration relevant to relevant to slum
and research
research
and research and agree on slum upgrading upgrading with
documents
institutions, slum
institutions in program for with monitoring monitoring and
communities,
providing and implementation and evaluation evaluation for
NGOs
updating of research for
improvement
research
information and
develop their
capacity to work
with slum
dwellers and
NGOs
activities improvement
Sub Total 1,800,000 1,112,500
Total 857,404,864 535,878,040
56

7.6 MONITORING AND EVALUATION MATRIX
OUTPUTS
Land
INDICATOR OF ACHIEVEMENT MEANS OF
VERIFICATION
Established AMA Land use planning Properly functioning committees with Attendance of meetings
stakeholder committee; A properly completed operations documents and inspection of
functioning Accra Planning Committee
and operations document
operations document at
the AMA
Initial and annually Updated citywide
land use plan, map and zoning map
and ordinance
Negotiations and Arbitration committee
and Land bank for specific land uses
Land bank for housing development
with map and text register
Basic Services and Infrastructure
Paved roads, walkways and alleyways
and constructed drains in Ga Mashie
and other identified slum communities
11 hospitals with workers and 15
markets with stall/ shop owners
List of sub metros and number of
classrooms needed for establishment
Additional water points provided to
facilitate in-house water connection by
families in 10 slum communities
Availability of AMA citywide land use
plan and map with accompanying
zoning map and ordinance
Committee operating with possible
land for acquisition negotiated for
and documented
Compensations fully paid for on land
acquired
Identified roads with drains
constructed, alleyways and walkways
paved and maintained
11 completed and equipped hospitals
and 15 occupied markets
Documented report of classroom
needs per sub metro and community
for basic schools
More water points with water located
in areas with low water supply in Ga
Mashie and other slums
Inspection of land use
and zoning maps, plan
and ordinance
Documentation of
negotiations with
signatures
Inspection of receipts
and land documents
including indenture and
land title for land
acquired
Inspection for well
maintained roads,
walkways, alleys and
drains
Physical inspection of
hospitals and markets
ASSUMPTION AND RISKS
Assumption that all stakeholders will cooperate
with transparency and the necessary funding for
operations will be acquired
Risk of some stakeholders such as the
traditional authorities not willing
Assumption of availability of funding and all
lands on belonging to rightful owners
Risk of opening up some land litigations
That land owners will be willing to release land
for such purposes at affordable prices
Risk of multiple sales by land owners and
Assumption of funds being available for
payment of compensation
Risk of losing land or land price increasing if
compensation is not fully paid for
Assumption of acquisition all necessary funding
for construction and maintenance
Risk of construction delays due to rains
City will successfully get private sector partners
to finance projects
City may not be able to raise the necessary
capital from the private sector through
partnership
Inspection of report Assumption of availability of necessary funding
for conducting needs per community
Risk of funding not achieved
Physical check in
communities
Assumption of water table to be reached in
communities for boreholes
Risk of not reaching water table for boreholes
and vandalism by community members
57

OUTPUTS INDICATOR OF ACHIEVEMENT MEANS OF
VERIFICATION
One electricity meter installed per Households without meter having Physical check in
beneficiary households
Housing/Housing Finance
meters
households and with
ECG
Properties issued with title in readiness Families completing land title Family Land title
for acquisition of housing finance process
certificates
Federation attendance and savings
registers and federation registration
certificates
Property register database and
citywide property maps created and
city housing finance facility established
Citywide housing stock database
created with electronic and online
application process established
Regular recordings in attendance
and savings book
Database created and facility
established
Check from federation
attendance and savings
books
Check database from
city and visit to finance
facility office
Database created within city Inspection of database
within city
Implementation of recommendations on Policies and Legal and Regulatory Framework
ASSUMPTION AND RISKS
Assumption that all households can afford at
least 50% of cost
Risk of the ECG failing to collaborate
Assumption that all Families can afford the land
title fee under the program
Risk of families not participating
Assumption that members will join federation
and save
Risk of members not joining and politicizing the
initiative
Assumption of the necessary seed capital to be
raised
Risk of funding not acquired
Assumption of funding for database to be
acquired
Risk of project being politicized
Annual report on implementation Implementation reports completed by Review progress report Assumption of funding to be acquired for
relevant agencies
processes
Land Use Law and updated AMA land Land Use Bill passed and land use Contact relevant Assumption that law will be passed
use map and plan
Maps and plans developed
agencies for copies Risk of law not passing due to political reasons
Reviewed Limitations Decree Sections of Decree reviewed Verify from latest version Assumption that Decree will be reviewed
Risk of not being reviewed for political reasons
Established Ministry of Housing and A new Ministry of Housing and Urban Visit to Ministry Assumption of proposal being accepted and
Urban Development
Development established
approved by Parliament
Risk of non approval by Parliament due to
political reason
Reviewed Rent Control Act Act reviewed Reviewed and approved That department and cabinet will accept
Act
proposal
Department and Cabinet may not accept
proposal for review
58

7.7 STAKEHOLDER ACTIVITY MATRIX
STAKEHOLDERS ACTIVITY PROGRAM
LAND
AMA, MLGRD, MWRW&H, Ga Traditional
Council, Lands Commission, Executives
of Various Neighborhood Associations,
Assembly men
AMA, Consultants, Country Team,
Citizen Representatives, NGO,
Development Partners
Land owners, AMA, Lands Commission,
MWRW&H, MLNR, MLGRD, Ga East, Ga
West, Ledzor Kuku Krowo, Adentan
Municipalities
Land owners, AMA, Lands Commission,
MWRW&H, MLNR, MLGRD, Ga East, Ga
West, Ledzor Kuku Krowo, Adentan
Municipalities
AMA, Land Owners, Ministry of Lands,
Ministry of Water Resources Works and
Housing
Facilitate establishment of Customary Land
Secretariat (CLS) for the development of
citywide land use plan and the Accra
Planning Committee for land use planning
Update AMA land use and zoning plans
periodically
Establish a land owner-government
negotiations committee for negotiations on
the creation of land banks
Negotiate with land owners for land for
housing and infrastructure
Acquire land and develop register and map
for allotments and locations
Institutional
Strengthening
Policy and
Regulatory
Framework Review
Institutional
Strengthening
Upgrading Elements
Upgrading Elements
IMPLEMENTATION OF RECOMMENDATIONS ON POLICIES AND LEGAL AND REGULATORY FRAMEWORK
Ministry of Water Resources, Works and
Housing; NGOs
Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Local
Government and Rural Development, Town
and Country Planning, AMA
Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources,
Ministry of Water Resources Works and
Housing, Ministry of Local Government,
NGOs
Cabinet, Parliamentary Select Committees
on Works and Housing, Ministry of Water
Resources Works and Housing, Ministry of
Local Government and Rural Development,
Ministry of Environment, Town and Country
Planning, NGOs, Development Partners
Ministry of Water Resources, Works and
Housing; Rent Control Department; NGOs
Entire Communities of Ga Mashie and five
other slum communities, identified affected
members of communities, AMA,
Implementing Partner,
Community members, AMA including
relevant Assembly members, contractors
Approval and implementation of National
Housing Policy and National Urban
Policy
Approval and implementation of Land
Use Plan Bill and review of AMA land
use plan
Review and enforcement of section 10 of
the Limitations Decree of 1972
Facilitation for the establishment of a
Ministry of Housing and Urban
Development
Review and enforcement of Rent Control
Act
BASIC SERVICES AND INFRASTRUCTURE
Realignment for development of roads
with storm water drains, walkways and
alleyways
Pavement and maintenance of roads,
walkways and alleyways
Implementing Partner/ Consultant Determine sub-metros and number of
classrooms to be established in them
Policy and
Regulatory
Framework Review
Policy and
Regulatory
Framework Review
Policy and
Regulatory
Framework Review
Institutional
Strengthening
Policy and
Regulatory
Framework Review
Upgrading Elements
Upgrading Elements
Upgrading Elements
59

STAKEHOLDERS ACTIVITY PROGRAM
AMA including relevant Assembly members,
Communities, Implementing partners,
NGOs, Contractors
Improve sanitation through job creation Upgrading Elements
Ga Mashie and 9 other slum communities, Facilitate the provision of water in areas Upgrading Elements
AMA, Ghana Water Company,
with low water supply through water
Implementing partner, Contractors
points (commercial or boreholes)
Ga Mashie and other beneficiary
Improve electricity supply in Ga Mashie Upgrading Elements
communities, AMA, Electricity Company of and 10 other slum communities to be
Ghana, Implementing partner, Contractors selected from 10 remaining sub metros
in city
HOUSING AND HOUSING FINANCE
Ga Mashie and other beneficiary
communities, AMA, Implementing partners
of Ghana, Implementing partner, Land
Administration Program,
Ga Mashie and other beneficiary slum
communities, AMA including cooperatives
unit, NGOs, Implementing partner
AMA, GoG (Ministry of Water Resources,
Works and Housing, Other relevant sector
Ministries), Implementing partner, UN-
Habitat
AMA, Community Reps, NGOs, Ministry of
Water Resources, Works and Housing,
NGOs, Financial institutions and Real
Estate developers
Universities, Policy Think Tanks, Research
Institutions, Ministries, Municipalities,
Agencies, NGOs, CBOs
7.8 CONCLUSION
Establishment and implementation of a
Secure Slum Community Land Titling
program
Organize slum communities into savings
federations in preparation for housing
finance
Establishment of city level finance
facility
Establishment of citywide housing need
based on income groups to include the
low income and development of
sustainable low-income housing product
with eligibility criteria
ACADEMIA
Conducting national, municipal and
community level research on slum
upgrading and prevention to include
low-income housing
Upgrading Elements/
Land regularization
Several stakeholders
(Local Economic
Development)
Finance for housing
and services
Upgrading Element
Academic
participation
Costing from this strategy will inform the resource mobilization strategy. It is anticipated that activities under this
strategy shall be implemented between 2012 and 2020, over a nine year period. Thus activities will be drawn from
the strategy for implementation annually over the strategy period; however, the strategy will be reviewed annually
for any necessary amendments due to socio-economic or political dynamics of the times.
60

RESOURCE MOBILIZATION
STRATEGY
61

CHAPTER EIGHT – RESOURCE MOBILIZATION
8.1 IDENTIFIED SOURCES OF RESOURCE MOBILIZATION FOR SLUM UPGRADING AND PREVENTION AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR
IMPROVEMENT
Introduction
Accra Metropolitan Assembly undertakes a substantial number of slum upgrading projects each year, though it does not have a slum upgrading strategy. The city spends 62.5% of its
internally generated revenue in slum areas. However, there is high demand for basic infrastructure and services as well as creation of employment opportunities to alleviate poverty in
these communities. Table 1 below shows the revenue sources of the Assembly for 2010 and 2012 with expected funds for slum upgrading and prevention for 2012. Information for
2011 is not yet available as the year has not ended.
Resource Mobilization Strategy
Table 1: Funding Sources, Expected Funds and Funds to be mobilized for Slum Upgrading for Accra Metropolitan Assembly
Government
Transfer
All Sources
Salaries
Subvention
Central
Government
Grant
Government
Grant to Accra
Metro Roads
Dept.
District
Assemblies
Common Fund
(DACF)
Urban
Environmental
Sanitation
Project II
(UESP II)
MPs Common
2010 Total
City Level
Funding
Funding
Component
for Slum
Upgrading
(GHC)
USD
Equivalent
2012 Total
City Level
Funding
2012
Funding
Component
for Slum
Upgrading
(GHC)
USD
Equivalent
4,175,643 0 0 7,721,026 0 0
Recommendations
for Resource
Mobilization
Total
Additional
Funding to
be
Mobilized
(USD)
105,879,844 31,763,953 19,852,471 0
9,613,577 3,845,431 2,403,394 Increase more
concrete slum
upgrading and
prevention programs
0
2,792,919 1,117,167 698,230 5,500,000 1,650,000 1,031,250 into medium term plan
and composite budget
0
1,812,908 1,812,908 1,133,068 37,056,517 37,056,517 23,160,323 0
1,100,000 880,000 550,000 0
0
62

Municipality
city revenues
from city taxes
and other
sources
Budget support
from donors to
central
government
budget
allocated to
slum upgrading
Cross-subsidy
service
charges
contributing to
slum upgrading
All Sources
Fund
Ghana School
Feeding
Program
AMA Education
Endowment
Fund
2010 Total
City Level
Funding
Funding
Component
for Slum
Upgrading
(GHC)
USD
Equivalent
2012 Total
City Level
Funding
2012
Funding
Component
for Slum
Upgrading
(GHC)
USD
Equivalent
Recommendations
for Resource
Mobilization
Total
Additional
Funding to
be
Mobilized
(USD)
6,370,000 6,370,000 3,981,250 0
335,663 223,775 139,859 0 0 0 0
IGF 11,543,463 1,154,346 721,466 27,598,922 5,519,784 3,449,865
0 0 0 0 0 0 0
None None None None 0 0 0
Property mapping and
revaluation for
improved property rate
collection Automation
of revenue collection
system Public
education on need to
pay taxes
Capacity development
for concrete pro-poor
project development
Further discussions
and regular periodic
briefing of donor
community on project
progress and impact
Implementation of
existing Act 462
provision for 50% of
revenue back from
communities (e.g.
Markets, property rates
and projects)
Increased property
rate collection and
revaluation Collaborate
1,250,000
112,069,693
125,000
63

Loans for
infrastructure
provision
Loans to
communities
All Sources
2010 Total
City Level
Funding
Funding
Component
for Slum
Upgrading
(GHC)
USD
Equivalent
2012 Total
City Level
Funding
2012
Funding
Component
for Slum
Upgrading
(GHC)
USD
Equivalent
None None None 0 0 0 0
SIF (Micro
credit for small
and medium
scale
enterprises)
5,500,000 5,500,000 3,666,667 0 0 0
Recommendations
for Resource
Mobilization
with relevant sector
ministries and the ECG
to subsidize services
for slum upgrading
with existing higher
tariff increase for
higher consumers
Review Section 88 of
Act 462, 1993 of GHC
2,000 maximum cap of
borrowing by local
governments without
approval from central
governments. This
could be paid by ring
fencing money from
projects to pay back
Technically support
communities with
necessary capacity to
access existing
Government Micro and
Small Loans Center
(MASLOC) loans and
Urban Poverty
Reduction Project
Loans
Facilitate housing loan
acquisition through
collaboration with
private sector and
cooperative formation
as with the Ghana
Slum Upgrading
Total
Additional
Funding to
be
Mobilized
(USD)
0
4,062,500
64

Direct donor
funding for
projects
Local
Government
Grant (FOAT)
UN projects
and
mobilization of
funds
All Sources
EU, AFD,
AfDB, USAID,
World Bank,
Zoomlion, UN-
Habitat (SUF),
Intercontinental
Bank, Chinese
Government,
Brazilian
Government,
SIDA (UMLIS)
District
Development
Fund/ Urban
Grant
2010 Total
City Level
Funding
Funding
Component
for Slum
Upgrading
(GHC)
USD
Equivalent
2012 Total
City Level
Funding
2012
Funding
Component
for Slum
Upgrading
(GHC)
USD
Equivalent
8,494,695 11,116,817 7,411,211 10,000,000 6,000,000 3,750,000
5,147,642 2,059,057 1,286,911 5,147,642 2,059,057 1,286,911
300,000 120,000 75,000
1,300,000 650,000 433,333 1,800,000 900,000 562,500
PSUP 182,000 182,000 130,000 1,040,000 1,040,000 650,000
Recommendations
for Resource
Mobilization
Facility (UN-Habitat)
Development of Lowincome
housing and
finance products, seed
capital for city finance
facility Development of
integrated tourism,
water and sanitation
Capacity building for
improved Municipality
management and
financial management
to score higher and
increase their funding
allocation annually
Detailed Studies for
slum communities
Citywide
comprehensive plan
Property mapping for
rate collection
Capacity building on
developing low-income
housing projects
Resource Mobilization
Total
Additional
Funding to
be
Mobilized
(USD)
5,625,000
1,286,911
0
562,500
3,312,500
65

Direct NGO
contributions
for projects.
Community
contribution
with
cash/payments.
Community inkind
contribution
(‘sweat equity’).
Other (Private
sector
institutions and
foundations)
Total funds for
slum upgrading
at city level (in
local currency
and USD)
Total
Additional
Funding to be
Mobilized (Over
10 years)
All Sources
CHF/HM/PD/
Habitat for
Humanity
2010 Total
City Level
Funding
Funding
Component
for Slum
Upgrading
(GHC)
USD
Equivalent
2012 Total
City Level
Funding
2012
Funding
Component
for Slum
Upgrading
(GHC)
USD
Equivalent
45,300 45,300 30,000 140,000 140,000 87,000
None None None None 0 0 0
Recommendations
for Resource
Mobilization
Community
mobilization (50,000)
Housing and Socioeconomic
studies and
research (40,000)
Resource Mobilization
(50,000)
Technical Support
(20,000)
Community Savings
through federations
(25% on direct
household
contributions for
housing projects)
None None None None 0 0 0 None 0
Accra
Sewerage
Improvement
Project
26,258,457 26,258,457 16,411,536 13,129,229 3,938,769 2,461,730
30,342,037 232,352,757 101,239,511 63,302,194
Slum
Upgrading
Funds
agreed on
for existing
projects for
58,902,194
Private sector
institutions (Public-
Private Partnerships)
and foundations
Total
Additional
Funding to
be
Mobilized
(USD)
87,500
125,000
486,870,000
615,381,604
66

Total Funding
Expected
(Expected for
2012+Funds to
be Mobilized
over 10 years)
All Sources
2010 Total
City Level
Funding
Note: Items in red are funds to be mobilized or expected
Funding
Component
for Slum
Upgrading
(GHC)
USD
Equivalent
2012 Total
City Level
Funding
2012
Funding
Component
for Slum
Upgrading
(GHC)
2012
8.2 APPROVED AND EXPECTED FUNDS FOR 2012 - ACCRA METROPOLITAN ASSEMBLY
Table 2: Existing and Expected Funds with Additional Funds to be Mobilized for Slum Upgrading
USD
Equivalent
Recommendations
for Resource
Mobilization
Funds for Existing Slum Upgrading Projects Proposed Projects Funds to be Mobilized or Expected
Source
Amount
(GHC)
Amount
(USD) Source
Amount
(GHC)
Total
Additional
Funding to
be
Mobilized
(USD)
619,781,604
Amount
(USD)
Central Gov Transfer
31,763,9 19,852,4
6,000,00 3,750,00
Grant
53 71 Direct Donor Funding
0 0
3,845,43 2,403,39
2,059,05 1,286,91
Grant to Accra Metro Roads Department
1 4 Local Government Grant (DDF Expected)
6 1
1,650,00 1,031,25
2,000,00 1,250,00
District Assemblies Common Fund
0 0 Property rate increase through mapping
0 0
37,056,5 23,160,3
Urban Environmental Sanitation Program
17 23 Implementation of Revenue Back to communities 200,000 125,000
6,500,00 4,062,50
MPs Common Fund 880,000 550,000 SIF Loans
0 0
6,370,00 3,981,25
9,000,00 5,625,00
Ghana School Feeding Program
0 0 Direct donor funding (Bi-laterals)
0 0
67

Funds for Existing Slum Upgrading Projects Proposed Projects Funds to be Mobilized or Expected
Amount Amount
Amount Amount
Source
(GHC) (USD) Source
(GHC) (USD)
5,519,78 3,449,86
Metropolis Internally Generated Funds
4 5 District Development Fund/ Urban Grant 900,000
1,040,00
562,500
SIDA (UMLIS) 120,000 75,000 PSUP III
0 650,000
2,461,73
5,300,00 3,312,50
Accra Sewerage Improvement Program
0 UN Projects and Mobilization of funds
0 0
Total Funding from Government Transfers for
Existing Projects in Slum Communities
Estimated Total Funding for Slum Upgrading from
2012-2020
87,205,6
85
Direct contribution from NGOs 140,000 87,500
Community Savings 200,000 125,000
Private Sector Foundation
Budget support from donors to Central Government for slum
upgrading over ten years to be mobilized
56,965,2
84 Total Expected Funds and Funds to be Mobilized
778,992,
000
179,311,
509
991,550,
566
1,082,79
5,021
486,870,
000
112,069,
693
619,781,
604
676,746,
888
68

8.3 PROPOSALS AND PRIORITY ACTIONS FOR IMPROVING RESOURCE MOBILIZATION FOR SLUM UPGRADING AND PREVENTION
Table 3: Roles and Responsibilities for Implementing Resource Mobilization Strategy
PROPOSAL RATIONALE ACTIONS IN ORDER OF PRIORITY RESPONSIBLE PARTY
Prioritize more concrete slum
upgrading and prevention programs
into medium term plan and
composite budget
Property mapping including Street
Naming and House Numbering for
revaluation to improve revenue
generation.
Public education on need to pay
levies, fees and licenses.
Capacity development for concrete
pro-poor project development.
Further discussions and regular
periodic briefing of stakeholders on
project progress and impact
Retention of 50% of collected
revenue by Sub- Metros
Review Section 88 of Act 462, 1993
of GHC 2,000 maximum cap of
borrowing by local governments
without approval from central
governments. This could be paid by
ring fencing money from projects to
pay back
Support communities with
necessary capacity for accessing
Funds are released for projects when
captured in medium term plan, AAP and
composite budget
Most properties in high and low-income
communities are not captured in
Assembly's property tax collection data
due to lack of updatable database and
maps for identification of property (e.g.
GIS, GPS, remote sensing, Google Earth
etc) to eliminate leakages in revenue
mobilization through automation
Medium term plans have inadequate propoor
programs and projects instead these
are listed. Regular
communication with stakeholders on
project progress and impact will sustain
their interest and keep them aware of
their contribution
Mandated by Local Government (Sub -
Metros) (Establishment) Instrument, 1994
(LI 1589)
This borrowing restriction impedes
Assembly from acquiring the necessary
funds from private capital market to
implement important projects such as
property mapping and revaluation which
are capital intensive
Most residents in slum communities do
not have the capacity to go through the
A resolution by the General Assembly to prioritize the inclusion and
implementation of slum upgrading and prevention projects included in medium
term plan.
Hold high level discussions with local and national government for inclusion
and capturing in budget
Mapping of all properties in AMA with creation of database register for
automated identification and easy collection
Automation of property rate collection
AMA to coordinate with service providers (ECG and GWC) to connect only
authorized structures to utilities.
Training on development of concrete pro-poor project for Physical and
Development Planning Departments of AMA
AMA (General Assembly)
AMA (MPCU)/Consultant
AMA/Consultants
Consultants /AMA (MPCU)/ Private
Sector
AMA (MPCU)/T&CP
AMA (MPCU)/Consultants
Development of briefing plan to donors AMA (MPCU)/Consultants
Implementation of briefing plan AMA(MPCU)
Capacitate local NGOs and CBOs and Assembly members to advocate for
implementation
Negotiate for the amendment of this restriction at local, ministerial and
parliamentary levels
Hold high level discussions at local and national government level for effecting
amendment
Develop petition to Ministries of Local Government and Rural Development,
Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning and Parliamentary Select
Committees on Local Government and Finance
NGOs/CBOs/Assembly members
MLGRD
MLGRD/AMA/Consultant
AMA (Mayor)/Consultant
Identify slum community members who need loans AMA (MPCU)/Consultant
69

PROPOSAL RATIONALE ACTIONS IN ORDER OF PRIORITY RESPONSIBLE PARTY
poverty alleviation loans (e.g.
MASLOC and Urban Poverty
Reduction Project Loan).
Facilitate housing loan acquisition
through collaboration with private
sector and cooperative formation
Low-income housing and housing
finance, Development of integrated
tourism, sanitation (in-house toilet
and drains-
Detailed Studies for 10 communities.
Citywide comprehensive plan.
Capacity building on developing lowincome
housing projects.
Resource Mobilization.
Promote community mobilization for
low-income housing through socioeconomic
studies, research,
resource mobilization and technical
support
Community Savings through
federations (50% on direct
household beneficiaries for projects)
Proposals to private sector
foundations and other agencies
paper work for accessing these loans and
some training or support in this area
could be very useful
City's only housing department is for rural
housing, with no housing scheme for the
public, except for its workers
There are no profiles on the all 78
currently identified slum communities and
pockets for data based development that
will significantly impact the right
beneficiaries
Most slum dwellers are not organized but
there is the need for their organization
and registration with adequate capacity
building for recognition by the formal
sector
Most slum dwellers do not save but
mobilizing them around savings would
equip them in meeting the down-payment
for housing borrowing and other house
improvement needs
These are annual donors that contribute
to development projects in the Metropolis
Educate and train them on receiving and payment of loans and book keeping AMA (MPCU)/ Consultant
Establish a support service center in communities for assisting potential
beneficiaries in filling and submitting loan applications
Upgrade AMA's Department of Rural Housing to include urban housing with
adequate capacity and logistics
AMA (MPCU)
AMA (MPCU)/UN-Habitat
Organize training programs for the housing department AMA(MPCU)/Consultant
Collaborate with private sector to develop comprehensive low-income housing
program for city to include financing for both demand and supply sides
Establish a low-income housing register and database for residents to access
housing and keep records of city's performance
Collaborate with private sector to implement low-income housing program
AMA(MPCU)/Consultant/ Private
Sector
AMA (MPCU)/Consultant
AMA (MPCU)/Consultant/ Private
Sector
Identify slum communities to be studied AMA (MPCU)
Conduct Studies with recommendations AMA (MPCU)/ Consultant
Mobilize and organize slum dwellers NGOs/CBOs/AMA
Register them as a federation or cooperative NGOs/CBOs/Federations
Educate organized federations or cooperatives on savings AMA/NGOs/CBOs
Register them into savings groups and train them to collect daily savings NGOs/CBOs
Train them on banking and support them to open bank accounts to deposit and
invest their savings
AMA/NGOs/CBOs
Inform them about the developed citywide strategy with them AMA
70

PROPOSAL RATIONALE ACTIONS IN ORDER OF PRIORITY RESPONSIBLE PARTY
8.4 CONCLUSION
in support of the AMA
Organize workshop for them to introduce and discuss citywide strategy with
them and solicit for support from them
AMA/Consultant
With the development of a slum upgrading strategy, there will be increased projects on slum upgrading and prevention to add up to the expected funding of
56,965,284 for already planned projects for 2012 as well as for subsequent years. It is also expected that additional projects shall increase required funding for slum
upgrading projects. Activities under the AMA slum upgrading strategy shall be implemented from 2012 to 2020 with annual reviews. It is therefore expected that
activities shall be drawn from the strategy bi-annually for implementation.
It is expected that the internally generated funds of the Assembly shall be increased with the implementation of the resource mobilization strategy through property
mapping, revaluation and increased rates collection, in collaboration with other development agencies and partners and other related projects as elaborated in Table
3 above. It should therefore be noted that inter-sector collaboration is very important for the successful implementation of the Resource Mobilization Strategy to
ensure the implementation of a sustainable and effective Slum Upgrading and Prevention Strategy.
Funding for slum upgrading and prevention from the city’s recurrent sources is also expected to be leveraged as counterpart funding in sources donor support for
the implementation of the citywide strategy. In line with this, a concept note will be developed to the European Union through the UN-Habitat to finance components
of the citywide slum upgrading and prevention strategy developed under the PSUP. Table 3 above shows recommendations for improvement of resources for slum
upgrading and prevention for the city of Accra.
71

CONCEPT NOTE
72

SUMMARY OF THE ACTION
Title of the action:
Location(s) of the action: -
specify country(ies),
region(s) that will benefit
from the action
Total duration of the
action (months):
Amount (in EUR) of
requested EU contribution
CHAPTER NINE – CONCEPT NOTE
Land Titling for Housing, youth employment, education, alley pavement and
Toilet improvements in Ga Mashie; with relevant Policy and Regulatory Support
Ghana, Greater Accra Region, Accra
24
5,236,559
Objectives of the action Overall Objectives: To significantly improve housing conditions in Ga Mashie in
a sustainable manner, while improving local economic development in the
community and establishing the necessary systems and operationalization of
necessary regulatory frameworks the overall improvement of housing conditions
in slum communities in Accra.
Specific Objectives: To support the operationalization of necessary policy
provisions that support slum upgrading and prevention
To provide basic data and information on 10 slum communities for purposes of
upgrading and general development
To establish the necessary systems through partnering Ga Mashie residents and
private sector for significant and sustainable improvement in housing
overcrowding
To provide housing infrastructure, education, alley pavements and toilets
To improve employment opportunities for the youth through refuse recycling
Target group(s) Ministries of Local Government and Rural Development and Water Resources,
Works and Housing; City Planning Department and Ga Mashie Community,
especially the youth and girls
Final beneficiaries Residents of 10 Slum communities in AMA, 100,342 Ga Mashie residents, AMA
Planning and Works Departments and Ministries of Local Government, Water
Resources, Works and Housing, Environment and Science and Women and
Children
Estimated results National Level: National Technical Committee established on Slums at the
ministerial level between the two ministries with co-opted members from other
relevant ministries, departments and agencies.
City Level: AMA bye-laws reviewed for pro-slum upgrading and prevention
provisions; education programs established for academic improvement,
expansion of basic schools; and human and logistics capacity building for
Planning Departments conducted.
73

Community Level: Pavement of alleys executed; waste management program
including recycling and waste to energy program for employment generation
established; skill training program including book keeping conducted; land titles
provided to at least 558 families; physical community upgrading layout and
model developed; housing and savings federations established; schools, roads,
drains and walkway constructed
Main activities • Establishment of Cross-Sector National Oversight Committee
RELEVANCE OF THE ACTION
• Establishment of Technical Committees at City Level
• Amendment and implementation of relevant sections of bye-laws and
Policies
• Rapid Studies and property mapping in 10 slum communities
• Implementation of physical demonstrative projects at community level
• Community education for improved education levels
• Youth training for improved employment opportunities
Relevance to the objectives/sectors/themes/specific priorities of the call for proposals
Ghana has crossed the 50% urban population mark (51%, census 2010); however, this increase has not
been matched with the requisite provision of housing and supporting infrastructure. Accra, with its estimated
one million daily migrant population influx suffers consequential housing overcrowding, especially in older and
less affluent parts of the city such as Ga Mashie which are falling into decay, as well as occupation of open
lands by migrants who gradually develop slums. This has resulted in a high level overcrowding, inadequate
municipal services including efficient waste management, circulation employment opportunities and road
access are major challenge in most slums in the city.
With increasing urban population in Ghana especially in Accra, the urban population is expected to reach 58
percent by 2030. Thus, key issues of housing overcrowding, waste management, water, electricity, education
and health will continue to engage the attention of city authorities. This makes slum upgrading and prevention
a high priority issue on the city agenda. Strategies must be developed for feasible and implementable
programs to overcome the challenges of slums.
The draft Ghana National Housing Policy prioritizes slum upgrading and prevention, thus making the
Participatory Slum Upgrading and Prevention Program (PSUP) II in line with the Policy. However, the
necessary technical and logistic capacity at both country and city levels in inadequate to ensure the efficient
implementation of the Housing and other sector policies relevant to slum upgrading and prevention, and to
ensure the sustainable successful implementation of the PSUP in Ghana. In view of this, the Country Team
under the PSUP, with initial training by the UN-Habitat could be strengthened to form a National Technical
Committee on Slum Upgrading and Prevention. This Team would be capacitated to develop policies,
programs and projects on slum upgrading and prevention. At the local level it is also important to capacitate
the Accra Metropolitan Assembly and its key departments including the Metropolitan Planning Coordinating
Unit (MPCU), Town and Country Planning Unit and the Works Department to provide the necessary functions
including reviewing and updating its bye-laws and providing the needed personnel and resources to meet the
challenges of slum upgrading and prevention.
Housing overcrowding, inadequate sanitary facilities, low education levels and under-employment are
deficiencies in the Ga Mashie community and most slum communities. Of the 100342 residents of Ga
74

mashie, only 10342 residents have access to in-house toilet facilities. Due to overcrowding of buildings in the
community, alleyways are an important means of access, however they are not paved, thus making. This has
resulted in water stagnation and difficult navigation through the community especially by children, during rainy
seasons. A high 53.5% of residents have education levels of up to Junior High School presenting a low
employability of the community, as strongly indicated by the youth in the community during community
meetings under the second phase of the PSUP.
Successful development and implementation of slum upgrading and prevention policies, programs and
projects stands to bring great benefits to slum dwellers, the city and country as a whole. The key issues to be
considered under the program will include the establishment of Cross-Sector National Oversight Committee
at the national level; strengthen the key departments of the Assembly (Metropolitan Planning and
Coordinating Unit and Works Department) backed by competent technical committees; develop, review and
amend relevant sections of bye-laws and policies at the sub-national level as indicated in the City’s PSUP
policy review document; assisting slum communities with secure tenure to acquire land title documents for
housing improvement purposes; conduct rapid studies in 10 slum communities; undertaking education
programs to increase levels of education and employment opportunities and implement physical projects to
address the needs of slum dwellers in Accra.
This proposal seeks to equip the national and local government as well as slum communities in Accra
especially Ga Mashie, with the necessary capacity to implement policies, projects and bye-laws that will
facilitate upgrading and prevention of slums at the community level, while ensuring that implementation of
physical and educational projects have the necessary resources for implementation and are being
implemented successfully. Activities in this proposal have been deduced from the first and second year
activities under the Citywide Slum Upgrading and Prevention Strategy under the PSUP.
Relevance to the particular needs and constraints of the target country/countries, region(s) and/or
relevant sectors (including synergy with other EU initiatives and avoidance of duplication)
All six (6) Metropolitan Assemblies in Ghana have slums with Accra being the capital city having the highest
slum population of 1,652,374 (38.4%); however, they live on only 15.7% of the city’s land. This significantly
contributes to the high housing deficit in the city, resulting in overcrowding, which is reflected in the average
room occupancy of 3 persons at city level and higher in slum communities such as Ga Mashie the project
community, which has average room occupancy of 10.6 persons. This means that with an average household
size of 5.5, most houses have more than one household in a room.
This therefore presents a high need of a comprehensive project with sustainable components that will
address the above situation to reduce overcrowding to a room occupancy of about 5 persons in the
community, pave alleyways, roads and walkways, educate the community to increase their education level
and create jobs especially for the youth. With experience from the UN-Habitat Slum Upgrading Facility pilot
project, residents in Ga Mashie through the development of a savings scheme, employment creation and
support with linkage to private sector funding, can upgrade their housing into multi-storeys, thus,
accommodating more people to reduce their room occupancy, while reducing overcrowding of houses and
ensuring a better planned community. To achieve this, families in Ga Mashie will be assisted in collaboration
with the Land Administrated Project (LAP) as is on-going for some families in the community under a
CHF/LAP project, to acquire documented titles for purposes of housing finance.
Housing overcrowding has led to minimum roads in Ga Mashie making creation and paving of alleyways a
best option for circulation. Overcrowding has also resulted in youth sleeping outside of their homes and
consequently leading to high teenage parenthood, which in turn has resulted in high school dropout and low
education levels, especially for girls; bringing about under employment and resultant poverty.
Addressing the challenge of low educational level will increase the chances of residents in obtaining better
paying jobs and equipping them in making positive changes in their quality of life to include housing and basic
services. With the assistance of facilitation on land title acquisitions, families would have access to housing
75

finance to upgrade their housing and provide more rooms to decrease their room occupancy levels, which will
in turn reduce the teenage parenthood and increase income opportunities.
Describe and define the target groups and final beneficiaries, their needs and
constraints and how the action will address these needs
There are three (3) levels of target groups which include at the national level the Urban Development Unit of
the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, the Housing directorate of the Ministry of Water
Resources, Works and Housing supported by other ministries, departments and agencies. The next level is
the city which is the departments of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly’s Planning and Coordinating Unit, the
MPCU and Works Department as the focal unit. At the community level is the 103,342 residents of Ga
Mashie and residents of 10 other slum communities in the city.
These targets have been selected because the sector ministries indicated are in charge of urban
development, housing and slum upgrading. Other ministries involved have oversight responsibility for
specific aspects with immense relevance to the program. The city departments selected are technically
under capacitated in issues of slum upgrading, and Ga Mashie is also the oldest part of the city and an
indigenous community which has deteriorated into a slum. Further, the community is densely population, lies
adjacent to the financial district of the city and boasts of rich cultural and traditional heritage sites (UNESCO
declared) in the form of palaces. However, it exhibits all four other characteristics of slums as defined by the
UN-Habitat. The community also has the potential for a high tourist attraction with a potential for generating
income from their palaces.
The formation of a national inter-sectoral technical committee is important to the coordinated and successful
implementation of the PSUP program and its replication in other cities. Strengthening the technical capacity
of the described units of the city and community, while maintaining strong linkage between the development
and physical planning units and other departments of the Assembly and the review of relevant sections of the
city’s bye-laws as in the PSUP policy and regulatory document, to update obsolete ones and implement
densities in development will also facilitate the smooth implementation activities as under this proposal.
Likewise, support to Ga Mashie families to document their land ownership will facilitate housing finance
acquisition and subsequently housing upgrading for reduction in overcrowding, while improvement of
vehicular and pedestrian circulation, sanitation and employment opportunities will significantly improve their
quality of life and reduce poverty.
In a participatory manner, all key stakeholders at both national and local government levels and community
levels have been consulted with consultations including traditional authority, Assembly members of all slum
communities in the AMA, CBOs, NGOs and identified stakeholders including private sector (service
providers) and the academia. The various documents including this proposal have been developed with these
stakeholders especially the representatives of the Ga Mashie community. Implementation of physical projects
in the community will also have community members as part of the working team employed to execute
projects.
PARTICULAR ADDED-VALUE ELEMENTS
Whereas issues of the poor will be brought to the fore front of the national and city development agenda with
the outlined project activities, that at the community level will address the seasonal non-navigable situation
around the community due to unpaved alleys. Sensitization, especially of female youth on importance of
education as well as construction of additional classrooms in the community will also increase educational
levels in the community which would translate into improved quality of life while reducing the number of
vulnerable people. Facilitation of land title documentation for families will also increase their opportunity of
accessing financing for housing improvement. Further the locational advantages, including the beachfront,
tourist attractions; rich cultural and traditional practices, of the community will be harnessed to enhance the
employability of the people in tourism. Property mapping will also increase property rate collection and
consequently increase the city’s revenue for development.
76

DESCRIPTION OF THE ACTION
• Establishment of Cross-Sector National Oversight Committee: To amend the undefined roles
and responsibilities for developing, implementing and financing slum upgrading and prevention
program at the national level, a National Technical Committee on Slums would be developed. This
committee will advocate for the development of a national slum upgrading policy or strategy,
especially at the parliamentary/ cabinet level, develop a program to guide cities in the development
and implementation of their slum upgrading strategies and also negotiate for budgetary allocation
both at the national and local levels for program implementation. This committee will however, need
to be trained to be technically equipped to undertake these activities.
• Establishment of Technical Committees at City Level: This activity will develop a program that
brings the existing Planning Unit and Works Department together to form a technical committee and
strengthen them technically through training to implement the City’s Slum Upgrading and Prevention
Strategy under the PSUP as well as collaborate with the relevant sector ministries for the
implementation of the policy level recommendations under the PSUP.
• Amendment and implementation of relevant sections of bye-laws and Policies: These are key
activities that need to undertaken to ensure the effective implementation of the City’s Strategy and
also the development and implementation of slum upgrading and prevention strategies for other
cities. The advance payment sections of the rent control act if reviewed could increase housing
affordability and translate into more decent housing with lower room occupancies in slum areas.
• Rapid Studies and Mapping in 10 slum communities: Very few of the 78 identified slum
settlements and pockets in city have available information and data for development. The 10 worst
slums identified and without documented information will be studied with recommendations for
development and rate collection for revenue increase. This will be undertaken in collaboration with
communities, academia, NGOs and other research organizations.
• Implementation of physical demonstrative projects at community level: Implementation of these
projects will be in Ga Mashie. This will include an indirect program of linking families to financing
institutions for housing finance and also collaborating with the Land Administration Program to assist
them with the development of land title documents, commencing with 558 families. Physical projects
will include training of youth in the construction of alley pavements, developing a maintenance
program for existing toilet facilities in Ga Mashie and also for an in-house toilet facility; development
of fire hydrants to ensure that each house falls within the 200 ft standard from a hydrant and
construct additional classroom units under the City’s educational component of the Millennium City’s
Initiative. Under this component, palaces will be encouraged to be rehabilitated to be conserved as
increase their tourism potential. A maintenance plan for all physical projects will be developed and
implemented as part of this component.
• Community education for improved education levels: This will include the development and
implementation of an education program that will educate residents, especially females on the
importance of education, to increase the school retention rate of girls as indicated in the slum
situation analysis. Another component of the education program will be on recycling of waste for the
youth which will feed into an employment generation program. Education will start from houses in the
form of waste sorting for recycle as well as importance of waste management, energy efficiency and
water preservation. Community members will also be sensitized on planning and slum issues.
• Youth training for improved employment opportunities: This component will train the youth in the
making of pavement blocks and pavement for alleys, recycling processes as under the existing CHF
plastic waste buy-back and compost plant program to expand the program in the community to
employ more youth as well as train residents from other slums in the city. Training programs will
consciously consider the disabled and women to improve their employment opportunities.
77

KEY STAKEHOLDER GROUPS, ATTITUDES TOWARDS THE ACTION AND CONSULTATION
UNDERTAKEN WITH THEM
Key stakeholders under this proposal include the central government represented by the Ministry of Local
Government and Rural Development, Ministry of Water Resources, Works and Housing and other ministries,
department and agencies. The Accra Metropolitan Assembly represented by the Mayor, Assembly Members,
the MPCU and Works Department other units including Ashiedu Keteke Sub Metropolitan District Council and
GAMADA were key stakeholders. The Ga Mashie community, private sector players, the academia,
traditional authorities, NGOs and CBOs were key stakeholders. The national and local government
stakeholders are poised for the implementation of this project, which is demonstrated by their constant
involvement in the processes under the second phase of the PSUP and the development of this proposal.
The Ga Mashie community, especially the youth have very keen interest, which they demonstrated during
their consultative meetings for input into the development of project document and proposal.
FORESEEN ACTIVITIES, RELATED OUTPUTS AND RESULTS
Foreseen Activities Related Outputs/ Results Linkages/ Relationships Between
Activity clusters
Establishment of
Cross-Sector
National Oversight
Committee
Establishment of
Technical
Committees at City
Level
Amendment and
implementation of
relevant sections of
bye-laws and
Policies
Rapid Studies and
Mapping in 10 slum
communities
National Technical Committee on Slums/
Approval of National Housing Policy,
National Urban Policy and Land Use
Planning and Zoning Regulations and
implementation of their respective slum
components; allocation of budget for slum
upgrading and prevention programs and
activities
Strengthened city Planning and Works
Departments, working together with the
Accra Planning Committee to form an
operational City Technical committee/
Effective implementation of AMA PSUP
slum upgrading strategy and
improvements at the community level in
slums of Ga Mashie and others in Accra
Sanitation section of the AMA bye-laws
and discussions for amendment of
sections on advance rent charges by
landlords of the national rent control laws
Document profiles with property maps for
10 slums on housing and socio-economic
situations
78
Establishment and operationalization
of this National Committee will
ensure that issues the
implementation of the necessary
regulations for effective
implementation of slum upgrading
and prevention at the city and
community levels; with proper
monitoring and scaling up of
program to other communities
An operational city level technical
committee will ensure the effective
implementation of projects,
monitoring and scaling up of project
to other communities for the
improvement of quality of life in slum
communities to include employment
generation
Will facilitate the implementation of
slum upgrading and prevention
strategy and other pro-poor
programs in Accra and other cities
Provide basis for suitable
interventions for effective strategy
and project implementation and
revenue increase

Implementation of
physical
demonstrative
projects at
community level and
development of
maintenance plans
for physical projects
Community
education for
improved education
levels and better
sanitation and
services
Youth training for
improved
employment
opportunities
Documented report/ Reduced classroom
sizes to 45 students per classroom, well
operating recycle centers, paved alleys
and walkways, additional fire hydrants,
documented land titles, upgraded houses;
implementation of maintenance plans
Documented project completion report/
improved awareness on importance of
education and higher school completion
rate by girls in Ga Mashie; better sanitary
conditions especially in toilets and higher
conservation of energy and water
Training completion report and constructed
recycle facilities/ more youth will be trained
and employed in alley pavement
construction and waste recycling for
sustainable source income
Action Time Frame Specific Factor(s)
Establishment of Cross-Sector National
Oversight Committee
Establishment of Technical Committees at
City Level
Amendment and implementation of relevant
sections of bye-laws and Policies
January 2012 –
April 2012
January 2012 –
April 2012
January 2012 –
January 2013
Rapid Studies in 10 slum communities March 2012 –
September 2012
Implementation of physical demonstrative
projects at community level and development
of maintenance plans for physical projects
Community education for improved education
levels and better sanitation and services
Youth training for improved employment
opportunities
SUSTAINABILITY OF ACTION
June 2012 –
December 2013
June 2012 –
December 2013
April 2012 –
July 2012
79
Significantly improve the quality of
life and will assist the technical
committees in monitoring the
effectiveness of policies and byelaws
as well as determining the
impact of project interventions on the
quality of life of slum communities.
Effective implementation of
education program will result in
higher education levels and
employability in community; better
sanitary situations and reduced
health risks and adequate water and
energy for families
A well trained youth will ensure a
successful implementation of
physical projects and the
sustainability of the PSUP in Ga
Mashie and other slum communities
in the city
Needs response and participation from
all relevant stakeholders
Elections usually slows down national
level activities
Procurement and selection of
communities
Procurement at different levels,
community consultations and
sensitization
Development of education programs
and manuals
Development of training programs and
facilitation manuals
For program sustainability the following risks in the table below have been identified with possible mitigations
where applicable.

Risk Type Risk Mitigation
Physical N/A N/A
Environmental N/A N/A
Political Elections may slow down
government operations thus
affecting project time period
(2012, 2016, 2020)
Economic Project budget may not be
obtained
Consultant technical facilitation of entire program would
help ensure faster processes
Aggressive implementation of resource mobilization
strategy to increase city’s internally generated funds
Social Community not participating Good community and technical facilitation and inclusion of
community in all stages especially implementation of
physical projects
With the development of the 9 year resource mobilization strategy, the AMA is committed to liaising with the
necessary development partners and increasing their internally generated funds to ensure expansion of
activities into the other identified slum communities for upgrading.
Also implementation of a maintenance plan for physical projects will ensure sustained provision of basic
services such as roads, pavements and alleys. The constant involvement and information of stakeholders
and community will also ensure ownership and protection as well as willingness to contribute to the sustained
success of upgrading in communities.
Collaborations with academia and research institutions NGOs and other development partners such as the
UN-Habitat as well as private sector will contribute to the city’s acquisition of the necessary technical capacity
needed for the successful implementation of the city’s program for the improvement of quality of life
especially for slum dwellers and to contribute to the Millennium Development Goals.
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REFERENCES
1. Accra Metropolitan Assembly – Medium Term Development Plan, 2010-2013
2. Accra Millennium City, Summary Profile: Policy Initiatives, Programmes and Projects: Achievements and
Investment Opportunities, Accra Metropolitan Assembly, April 2011
3. Africa Region working Paper Series number 110, Farvacque and et al; Development of Cities of Ghana,
Challenges, Priorities and Tools, January 2008
4. Continuums of Vulnerability in the Slums of Accra, Ghana, Marta Jankowska, 2009
5. Draft Ghana Housing Policy, 2010
6. Draft Ghana National Urban Policy, 2010
7. Draft Ghana Urban Housing Sector Profile, Tipple et Al, March 2011
8. From Profile to Action: Participatory Slum Upgrading and Prevention (PSUP) Work Plan for Implementing
the Action Planning and programme Formulation for Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), 2010
9. National Water Policy, 2007
10. Practical Guide for Implementing the UN-Habitat Participatory Slum Upgrading Program, Second Phase
PSUP II, 2011
11. Urban Livelihoods and Foods and Nutritional Security in Greater Accra, Ghana, Research Report 112,
Daniel Maxwell et Al, International Food Policy Research Institute, 2000
12. Urban Sector Assessment Report, European Union and WaterAid, August 2008,
13. Urbanization and Land Markets, Seth Asiamah and Mahdu Rahgunath, June 2007
14. World Bank Economic Sector Work, Ghana Urban Development and Economic Growth, 2007
15. Local Government (Departments of District Assemblies) (Commencement) Instrument, 2009 (L.I. 1961)
16. Environmental Sanitation Policy, September, 2010
17. Local Government Act, 1993, Act 462
18. Google Earth Downloads, September 2011
19. Ghana Third Poverty Reduction Strategy Credit, World Bank Report no.33096-H, July 2005
20. Core Welfare Indicators of the World, 2003
21. Rent Control Law, 1986 (PNDCL 138)
22. Local Government Bulletin, 1 st September, 1995 (AMA Bye Laws)
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