The Public Relations Officer of the Rent Control Department of Ghana, Emmanuel Hovey Kporsu, has confirmed that the government plans to roll out the National Rent Assistance Scheme (NRAS) before December 2022.
Speaking in an interview with Yen.com.gh, he said all due processes have been completed for the project to take off, with funding secured as well.
Emmanuel Kporsu said the scheme is to enable Ghanaians secure funds to help with the difficult issue of payment of rent advance.
Many Ghanaians, particularly the youth, are at a housing disadvantage due to the troubling practice of landlords requiring two years rent advance to let out their properties, particularly in urban areas.
Successive governments have made lots of noise about helping to alleviate the situation without any measures being put in place.
The National Rent Assistance Scheme is a Ghc 100 million public-private partnership to address this issue once and for all and help young people access loans to enable them rent properties without too much stress.
How It Works
Eligible Ghanaians can apply for loans from the NRAS when they’re planning to rent an apartment.
Qualified candidates would have their rent advance paid out by the Scheme to their landlords and a monthly deduction taken from their salaries.
“The system will be in place to help people who can be guaranteed that every month a deduction can be made from their salaries,” he said.
Kporsu added that unlike other government loans, this is a loan that will be impossible to escape payment because your physical address is available to the scheme at all times.
“What is interesting is that you can not run away with your apartment. If the loan is given to the landlord and you’re staying there and cannot pay, of course, the legal process will be instituted for you to be evicted.
“One cannot run away with the money because the amount will be not be paid directly to the tenant; it’ll be given to the landlord with the agreement that when you default with the government, you’ll be evicted, replaced or the landlord will refund the money,” the Rent Control PRO said.
According to Kporsu, a committee has been put in place for the scheme to roll out before the end of the year.
“I can assure you that [we’ll roll out} before December. Fortunately, I’m part of the Project Management Committee; we’ve set up a plan – I’m giving the end of the year but it can be next month or next two months,” he assured.
Source: theGhanaianVoice.Com
