UN Expert Raises Concerns over Housing Affordability and Forced Evictions in Ghana

Author: Pragya Verma

October 14, 2026

HRRC supports the right of people in Ghana to access affordable housing and to have an adequate standard of living. We urge the Government of Ghana to prioritise housing policies that protect people from forced evictions, particularly those living in informal settlements. 

Informal housing settlement [Image credit: Magda Ehlers/Pexels]

The United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur on the right to adequate housing, Koldo Casla, concluded his 12-day official visit to Ghana. During his visit, he raised concerns about housing affordability, particularly in Ghana’s urban areas. He noted that the high cost of formally built housing left many Ghanaians with little choice but to settle in informal settlements or occupy substandard accommodation. 

The report estimated that about 31 percent of Ghana’s urban population lived in informal settlements, while conservative estimates put the number of people experiencing homelessness at approximately 100,000, including 60,000 children. 

Casla conducted his official visit to Ghana from September 28 to October 9, 2026. The visit was intended to examine the protection and realisation of the right to adequate housing in national law and practice, including access to public housing, affordability in the private sector, and access to essential services. He is expected to present a report on his visit to the UN Human Rights Council in March 2027. 

Casla observed that large-scale constructions and real estate investments in Accra were being promoted at prices far beyond what the average Ghanaian could afford. He further explained that many of these properties remained vacant, which suggested that constructions in wealthier parts of Accra served speculative financial ends rather than satisfying the population’s right to adequate housing.

He also cautioned Ghanaian authorities about the threat of forced evictions without prior consultation. He advised that the practice must end, especially where people were forcibly evicted without proper compensation.

He further highlighted the old Fadama community, which has faced repeated threats of forced eviction since the early 2000s, most recently as a consequence of the local government’s development plan for the adjacent Agbogbloshie Market. 

Casla urged the government to prioritise affordable housing for low-income earners. He said that housing policies must address the needs of working people instead of promoting property developments beyond the reach of ordinary citizens. 

He urged the authorities to ensure that policies reflected the needs of those living in poverty and that housing was prioritised in national development planning. 

The Government of Ghana has also reaffirmed its commitment to making decent, safe, affordable, and inclusive housing accessible to all Ghanaians. It acknowledged that many Ghanaians continue to face barriers to homeownership and decent accommodation due to high land prices, infrastructure costs, and limited access to affordable housing finance. 

The government said it was responding to these challenges through policies and programmes aimed at improving housing affordability. It intends to implement the Greenville District Housing Programme and the National Rental Assistance Scheme to improve access to affordable accommodation and expand housing choices. 

Ghana President John Dramani Mahama has also directed the Minister of Finance to allocate GHS 1 billion (approximately USD 85 million) in the 2027 Budget as the government’s contribution to a proposed GHS 3 billion (approximately USD 255 million) revolving National Housing Fund. The President said the allocation would strengthen the Fund’s capacity to expand access to affordable housing for Ghanaian households. 

The right to adequate housing is more than having a roof over one’s head. It is the right to live in safety and dignity in a decent home. 

The Special Rapporteur’s mandate was created to promote the full realisation of adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living. It identifies practical solutions, best practices, challenges, obstacles, and protection gaps in relation to the right to adequate housing. 

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Glossary

• Accommodation - a place to stay or live.

• Adequate - sufficient for a specific need or requirement.

• Adjacent - very near, next to, or touching.

• Forced Eviction - the permanent or temporary removal against their will of individuals, families and/or communities from the homes and/or land. 

• Inclusive - including everything or all types of people. 

• Informal Settlements - unplanned settlements and areas where housing is not in compliance with current planning and building regulations. 

• Public Housing - houses or flats provided by the government at low rents for people who have low incomes. 

• Reaffirmed - to give your support to a person, plan, idea, etc. for a second time; to state something as true again. 

• Speculative - done in order to make a profit even though there is risk that you may lose money. 

• Substandard - below a satisfactory standard.