Here’s a simple way to let government pay your rent advance for you in Ghana

The aim of the scheme, with a seed funding of GHC30 million, is to address and correct the rent advance problem that has placed an undue financial burden on the citizenry in addition to the charges being high.

It is expected that the implementation of the initiative will make renting in Ghana more affordable and accessible for all Ghanaians.

“Our goal is to implement this scheme in all 16 regions of Ghana and offer our services to any Ghanaian adult who is employed with a company or self-employed and can make monthly affordable rent payments,” NRAS states on its website.

How it works:

You first have to apply for assistance from NRAS and once your application is approved, the NRAS will pay your rent advance directly to the landlord while you pay back in monthly instalments.

How to qualify:

An applicant must show proof of employment (3 months' payslips), proof of income (3 months' official bank statements or mobile money statements) or an audited financial statement (for business owners).

How to apply:

An applicant must complete an online or paper application and submit proof of income, employment, identification, one passport picture and an application processing fee of 100 cedis to the NRAS office. The scheme will verify the authenticity of your submitted application and supporting documents.

In 5 to 10 business days, it will evaluate your affordability for the rent amount being sought and notify you of your application’s acceptance or denial.

If your application is accepted, you will be advised to begin an apartment or room search and once it is found, the rent advance payment will be made directly to the Landlord after which you are now free to occupy the rented room or apartment and make monthly rent payment to NRAS at the beginning of each month.