Family Compound Housing System Losing Its Value in Ghana: A Threat to Future Housing of the Poor

Esther Yeboah Danso-Wiredu and Adjoa Poku

Housing Policy Debate, 2020, vol. 30, issue 6, 1016-1032

Abstract: The family compound housing system in Ghana ensures both nuclear and extended family live in the same house and have reciprocal relationships. It is a social safety net that prevents homelessness in Ghana. The rent-free compound housing remains predominant in rural areas and indigenous parts of the cities. However, many Ghanaians prefer to live in single-family houses rather than the family compounds, resulting in a gradual reduction in the number of family compound houses. Based on a study conducted in four communities, the article uses a qualitative approach, with social capital theory as the analytical basis for the research, to investigate why most Ghanaians now wish to live outside their family homes. Based on the findings, the article questions the future of housing the poor in Ghana if the family compound housing system collapses and suggests a rental form of compound housing as a new policy for the state.

Date: 2020
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DOI: 10.1080/10511482.2020.1792529

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