Government can afford rent-relief for tenants facing eviction – Housing Minister

Works and Housing Minister Samuel Atta Akyea says government has the capacity to cover the rent of tenants who may face eviction over their inability to meet their rent obligations.

Although the housing minister did not indicate how much money the state had for such an intervention, he said government has the financial space.

“If someone should push that if people have no place to live as a direct result of the COVID-19 challenges should have their rent paid, we should be able to absorb it. We have the financial space,” Mr. Atta Akyea stated.

Speaking at a press briefing on Tuesday evening, he said his outfit was unaware of wholesale eviction of tenants.

If any of such reports came to his attention, he said his outfit “will get the feedback and handle it.”

“Let’s see if there are numbers. We shouldn’t just wave our hands and say we should pay the rent of people who are suffering as a result of the COVID-19 numbers but if we see the numbers, we will see what we can do.”

Housing Minister warns landlords not to exploit tenants

Works and Housing Minister Samuel Atta Akyea has cautioned landlords against exploiting the Coronavirus crisis to the detriment of their tenants.

The minister warns landlords to desist from ejecting tenants in a manner against the law, adding that such deviance would be dealt with by the law.

“We’re being admonished to stay at home as much as possible, and even with the lifting of the lockdown, you have to stay at home, but if where you are staying is having challenges because of the bad behaviour of a landlord or landlady, for that matter, it will be extremely not a Ghanaian attitude.”

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