Dr. Kathleen MacLellan:

I assure the committee that the Department is keen. Its current policy is to see a broad opportunity for the types of housing options that could be supported within the community. It is important they are set up with the types of supports needed from the statutory home care scheme and elsewhere.

Early last year, the then Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government agreed a policy options paper with the then Minister of State with responsibility for mental health and older people, Jim Daly, on housing options. An implementation committee for this is up and running. It is considering joint working across the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and the Department of Health to examine opportunities to work closely on different types of housing options, potentially within in smaller villages and that provide health supports.

My colleague, Mr. Redmond, has worked in this area and has had the opportunity to see some of those internationally. I ask him to describe some of that.