A survey of housing conditions and characteristics in Accra, an African city

This study presents a survey of housing conditions in Accra (Ghana), a city that has experienced tremendous population growth and housing problems since the 1950s. The paper discusses population growth and housing conditions in the city, comparing the situation in the 1950s and the 1990s. It is based primarily on the analysis of surveys conducted in 1954 and 1989 by Acquah and the author, respectively. The survey data is supplemented with data from a small-scale interview of 52 households conducted in 1997, and the three Ghana Living Standard Surveys conducted in 1987/88, 1988/89 and 1991/92 by the Ghana Statistical Services. The surveys reveal that housing conditions in Accra seem to be worse than what they were in the 1950s. Factors such as the poor economy, unrealistic rent control, outmoded building regulations and lack of housing finance that have contributed to the dismal housing situation are identified and discussed.