The State Housing Company Limited (SHC) will commence a nationwide land audit and recovery exercise after October 15, 2026, targeting encroachers, squatters and other persons unlawfully occupying its lands and properties, the Deputy Managing Director, Mr Samuel Atukwei Quaye has said.
The exercise, he said, is aimed at protecting state assets, recovering lost revenue and making land available for the development of affordable housing for Ghanaians.
Mr Quaye, disclosed this at a press conference in Accra yesterday, noting that the company had exhausted several avenues to encourage affected persons to regularise their occupation, including SMS messages, emails, telephone calls and written notices.
He said the company offered a 15 per cent discount in 2025 to encourage clients with outstanding payments and expired leases to settle their obligations, but many failed to respond.
Consequently, a final notice was issued on February 16, 2026, followed by a publication in the national dailies and other media outlets on September 24, giving illegal occupants 21 days to regularise their status or vacate the properties.
The deadline expires on October 15, 2026.
“This company has been very patient. We have been more than fair, but patience cannot be unlimited when the public interest is being eroded each day,” he said.
Established in 1956, SHC is mandated to provide decent and affordable housing for Ghanaians and currently has more than 30,000 housing units nationwide.
Mr Quaye explained that state-allocated lands were public assets held in trust for Ghanaians and intended for housing development.
He said encroachment, unauthorised occupation, expired leases and the unlawful sale or transfer of properties had deprived the company of assets and revenue, stalled projects and affected people waiting for affordable homes.
He stressed that the exercise was not intended to render people homeless but to ensure that state lands were protected and used for their intended purposes.
Persons with expired leases were urged to report to SHC with their documents for verification and possible regularisation, while those without legitimate claims would be required to vacate the properties.
Mr Quaye also warned against the use of forged documents and advised prospective buyers and developers to verify property ownership directly with SHC and the Lands Commission before entering into transactions.
He stressed that payments must be made only through official company channels.
To support the exercise, SHC has engaged Enoch Holdings Limited, a privately owned Ghanaian asset recovery company, to provide field, logistical and recovery support.
Mr Quaye said Enoch Holdings would identify properties requiring investigation and submit its findings to an internal SHC committee for verification before any recovery action was taken.
“Decisions on property status and recovery would remain the responsibility of SHC,” he emphasised.
He said the partnership would enable the company to focus on constructing affordable homes while recovering its assets.
SHC appealed to the media to educate the public and prevent the exercise from being politicised, insisting that it was intended to protect public property rather than target individuals or groups.
BY HILDA NSAMI
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