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Article Title:
An Exploratory Study of Challenges to Sustainable Housing Development in the Kumasi Metropolis of Ghana: Perceptions of Built Environment Consultants
by Nongiba Alkanam Kheni and Wisdom Dzidzienyo Adzraku

Abstract:
Residential building construction is an important activity crucial for fulfilling the housing needs of nations, particularly low- and lower-middle -income countries. The study examines the challenges militating against sustainable housing development (SHD) and to situate the findings within the broader context of sustainable development in Ghana. The study adopts a qualitative approach involving unstructured in-depth interviews of experts in the Kumasi Metropolis in Ghana. The findings of the study suggest that the key challenges to sustainable housing development include; informal house building practices with little regard for regulatory compliance, clients? lack of awareness or ignorance of design principles relating to SHD, culturally disenabling attitudes that hinder SHD, inadequate capacity of local expertise in relation to the use of local materials and technology to promoteSHD, inability of regulatory institutions to ensure housing is delivered sustainably and low level of commitment to funding research and development to promote SHD.The paper has made recommendations to address the challenges stated.

Keywords: sustainability, housing development, consultants, Ghana.

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