Housing Supply for Low Income Urban Dwellers through Transformations: Case Study of Suntreso, Kumasi

Abstract

Studies and programmes on the supply of housing have generally focused on new developments by public institutions and formal private sector companies and individuals. The activities of individual house owners who continually add few rooms and facilities to existing houses and actually cater for the housing needs of low-income urban households tend CO be ignored or at best, down played. This paper, based on a preliminary study sponsored by the British Council, highlights the small scale, uncoordinated and uncontrolled activities of housing suppliers at Suntreso, Kumasi. This supply of housing is through the alterations and extensions of existing units developed by the government. Transformation activities constitute an important source of sup-ply of moderately priced housing in urban areas of Ghana and it is therefore necessary that efforts are made by city and development control authorities to prevent the occurrence of haphazard developments and the attendant health problems.