Koldo Casla urges Ghana to strengthen Rent Control Department

Koldo Casla, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the right to adequate housing, has called on the Ghanaian government to urgently empower the Rent Control Department following a 12-day assessment visit to the country. Casla emphasized the need for the department to be equipped with the necessary logistics and institutional mechanisms to effectively monitor and curb arbitrary rent increases that are currently pricing many citizens out of the formal housing market. During his visit, the Special Rapporteur observed that the lack of affordable formal housing options is driving a significant portion of the population into informal settlements. He revealed that approximately 31 percent of Ghana’s urban population currently resides in such settlements, with many others facing outright homelessness. Casla stressed that without robust governmental intervention to manage rent and ensure affordability, the most vulnerable citizens will continue to be marginalized by a market that fails to meet the basic human right to shelter. While acknowledging that the construction sector is a vital pillar of the national economy—contributing between 7 percent and 15 percent of the Gross Domestic Product—Casla argued that this growth must become more inclusive. He urged the administration of President John Mahama to align public housing policies with the actual needs of low-income earners and those living in poverty. Strengthening the Rent Control Department is a critical step in ensuring that the housing sector serves all Ghanaians, rather than just a wealthy minority, thereby fostering more equitable urban development across the nation.