Housing and Health in Ghana: The Psychosocial Impacts of Renting a Home

Isaac Luginaah, Godwin Arku and Philip Baiden
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Isaac Luginaah: Department of Geography, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 5C2, Canada
Godwin Arku: Department of Geography, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 5C2, Canada
Philip Baiden: Department of Sociology, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 5C2, Canada

IJERPH, 2010, vol. 7, issue 2, 1-18

Abstract: This paper reports the findings of a qualitative study investigating the impacts of renting a home on the psychosocial health of tenants in the Accra Metropolitan Area (AMA) in Ghana. In-depth interviews (n = 33) were conducted with private renters in Adabraka, Accra. The findings show that private renters in the AMA face serious problems in finding appropriate and affordable rental units, as well as a persistent threat of eviction by homeowners. These challenges tend to predispose renters to psychosocial distress and diminishing ontological security. Findings are relevant to a range of pluralistic policy options that emphasize both formal and informal housing provision, together with the reorganization and decentralization of the Rent Control Board to the district level to facilitate easy access by the citizenry.

Keywords: housing; advance rent; psychosocial health; coping strategies; Accra Metropolitan Area; Ghana (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2010
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