Organizational challenges of public housing management in the Global South. A systems assessment of Ghana

Public housing has contributed tremendously to addressing housing deficits in many countries. Notwithstanding the shift towards neo-liberalism, public housing is still relevant in the Global South. Ghana’s response to the neo-liberal call was to sell-off most of the public housing stock and transfer some of the remainder to local authorities. Despite its contribution to labour mobility and productivity, Ghana’s public housing conditions are poor largely due to ineffective management and maintenance. The paper aims to use systems theory to identify the organizational challenges for management that has resulted in poorly maintained public housing. The study interviewed housing experts, local authority staff and tenants; and finds that the organizational structure is poorly defined; irregular financial resource flows impede maintenance, and there is low tenant involvement in housing management. It recommends that housing management activities should be concentrated at the municipal level with defined roles. Mechanisms for tenant participation in management should be introduced to ensure that outcomes meet tenants’ expectations.