The Gap between Visions and policies: Housing the Urban Poor and Planning in Ghana

Rapid population increase has led to severe housing shortage in Ghana. In urban areas, this has resulted in overcrowding and growing slums. The continuous slum growth especially in the cities is a worrying trend. To date, the country does not have any tentative urban development policy. Our paper discusses the various draft policy documents and reports and on housing vision by the country over the years; it compares the contents of the documents to what have been achieved regarding affordable housing in the country through critical discourse analysis (CDA). These policy documents perspire the visions of its creators on the “urban question” and CDA is used to dissect them. The prevailing visions on the slum problem regarding housing is discussed as to why these strategies remain dreams to be realised in the country.  The paper concludes that usually, the way the governments see the reasons behind the problem of slums in the cities determines the  remedy it’s prescribed by it.  Keywords: Ghana, Urban poor, Policy, Housing