Gives 21 Days Ultimatum for State Land Squatters to Quit or Regularise
By Philip Antoh
The State Housing Company Limited (SHC) has run out of patience. After a nationwide land audit revealed what it calls “significant levels” of unauthorised occupation across its estates, the company backed by the Ministry of Works, Housing and Water Resources has issued a final warning to encroachers: stop all development immediately, or face demolition.
The notice, published this week, gives offenders just 21 days to report to any SHC office for “verification and regularisation.” After that, the company promises decisive action: legal proceedings, demolition of unauthorised structures, recovery of lands, and collaboration with state security agencies.
The scale of the problem is telling. SHC, a state-owned enterprise mandated to deliver affordable housing, has seen its land bank steadily nibbled away over decades.
The latest audit confirms what many in Accra’s real estate circles already know: powerful individuals some with political connections have carved out parcels of SHC land for private development, often with impunity.
But the company’s language this time is notably firmer. It cites the Land Act, 2020 (Act 1036), which reinforces the protection of state lands and criminalises unauthorised occupation. “Unlawful occupation constitutes a criminal and civil offence,” the statement reads.
The regularisation offer is the carrot. Encroachers who come forward within three weeks may be allowed to formalise their interests subject to SHC’s planning and zoning requirements. But the company is careful not to promise automatic amnesty. Each case will be verified.
The real test, however, will be enforcement. Past eviction exercises on state lands have often faltered when the encroachers turn out to be well-connected traditional authorities, retired military officers, or politically exposed persons. SHC’s threat to “collaborate with state security agencies” suggests it anticipates resistance.
The company has also warned prospective land buyers to conduct due diligence directly with SHC. “The company shall not be liable for losses incurred through dealings with unauthorised persons.” Translation: if you buy SHC land from a self-stalled developer, you may wake up one morning to bulldozers.
This is not the first time a state agency has issued such a warning. But the involvement of the Ministry of Works, Housing and Water Resources and the explicit mention of criminal prosecution suggests a co-ordinated push to reclaim state assets. Whether the political will holds when the first high-profile name is served notice remains to be seen.
For now, the clock is ticking. Encroachers have 21 days. After that, SHC says, the law will speak.