Drivers of housing development in Tamale Metropolitan District, Ghana

Abstract

ABSTRACTIn developing countries the most remarkable feature of housing production and consumption is the active involvement of households in all segments of the housing markets. The purpose of the study was to assess the main drivers of households’ decisions to build housing in Tamale Metropolitan District, Ghana. The authors used a probit regression model to analyse the main forces underlying housing production decisions in the district and to highlight the challenges associated with households’ self-building efforts. The results revealed that economic, demographic, and cultural factors were the main forces accounting for variations in households’ decisions to build housing. Additionally, the results indicated that households’ efforts were severely constrained by rising land values, low levels of household income, limited employment opportunities, and intermittent chieftaincy conflicts. The authors conclude that access to land and security of tenure were important prerequisites for housing development in Tamale Metropolitan District. They recommend the establishment of a good land administration system to help to address the excessive bureaucracy in the delivery of land for house building in the metropolis.