ABSTRACT
The chapter focuses on impacts of historic housing regeneration, under the Urban Conservation Programme. It covers two clusters of houses: extended family properties and stately but void properties which had previously housed families. Assessment covers project financing, implementation, habitation, neighbourhood improvement, rehabilitation and restoration and adaptive uses. It argues that this initiative successfully regenerated the targeted buildings, precincts and streetscapes, but coverage of properties was limited. However, non-compliance of potential participants with the selection criteria was generally due to the rigidity of some of these. Inflexibility of the criteria also limited project monitoring, which could have prevented the collapse of John Mensah Sarbah House at King Aggrey Street due to overcrowding. However, regeneration created a minimal renting market and revenue for some families. Participant selection flexibility could also have generated other uses, apart from residential use. This was the strength of cluster 2 properties which generated a variety of uses, including office, restaurant, information and computer technology training, tourism-based research, social and cultural activities, public gatherings and celebrations and photographic services, generating revenue for property and business owners and the state. Improvement in project funding and effective organisation of implementation management would promote more sustainable impacts.
