Housing for the vulnerable in the Offinso South Municipality of Ghana

Purpose - Housing decay is a major feature of all the cities and towns in Ghana. This paper aims to investigate the condition of housing in the older neighbourhoods of the Offinso South Municipality (OSM), in the Asante region of Ghana. Design/methodology/approach - The study employed questionnaires to collect empirical data from households and property owners in the studied neighbourhoods. These data were then analysed, and interpreted using some knowledge of local culture and beliefs. Houses are of cultural significance in Ghana; they serve the needs of the living, the dead and future generations. Findings - The research finds that most households in the older neighbourhoods of the OSM live in housing deprivation. The most affected are children and the elderly in the neighbourhoods. But the poor housing is in part a consequence of attitudes toward property management and a weakening social system that hitherto supported the vulnerable in society. Originality/value - The paper recommends that the municipal authority enforces regulations governing property management. It also suggests that Ghanaians should rediscover a social system that ensures that the elderly are adequately sheltered.