A house arranged around a central open yard, with several households living in separate rooms and sharing the bathroom, kitchen and washing area.
The traditional and still very common form of urban Ghanaian housing, particularly in older and denser neighbourhoods.
Practically, it means:
- Shared facilities, with a queue in the morning
- Shared utilities, sometimes on a single meter, which is a recurring source of dispute
- A great deal of community. Your neighbours will know your business, and they will also look out for you and your children.
Rent for a single room in a compound house is the cheapest formal housing in Accra.