Mr. Seán Moynihan:

I thank the committee for the opportunity to discuss housing for older people. ALONE supports older people to age at home. ALONE has supported more than 24,000 older people in the last two years. On average 20.5% of the people we support have housing issues. By 2031, around 20% of households will contain people over the age of 65. This, coupled with declining home ownership rates, means we need to increase the focus and range of housing options and choices for older people.

So what do the older people want? They tell us that they are united in wanting to age at home in their communities for as long as possible; that they want to live safely and securely in their communities; and that if they have health difficulties, they want to receive care in their own community. We welcome enhanced community care projects that work towards meeting that need. The other needs and wants depend on every older person’s individual preference, health and home ownership situation.

The current model of housing provision that we are relying on, the private sector rental model, will not fully serve the community or the needs of older people. If you are renting, there are more barriers and fewer choices available. If we continue to rely on the model as it stands today, with greater numbers renting into older age, we will see a dramatic increase in the number of homeless older people and the support needs among this age group. It is not the landlords' responsibility, nor is it within their capabilities, to provide the support and security needed by this age group.

According to census 2016, 2.4% of people aged 65 and over, and almost 10% of people aged between 50 and 54, are renting from a private landlord and we anticipate this to grow further in the next census. Cost rental models will help as will the new pension provision but not on the scale or within the timeframe needed.

ALONE’s Housing Choices for Older People in Ireland report projects that a range of housing options and demand are needed over the next ten years. We welcome the work that has been done so far under Housing for All and the joint policy statement by the Departments of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and Health, Housing Options for Our Ageing Population. The three sectors - private, voluntary and State - contributed to the joint policy statement, which was warmly welcomed as a significant step forward in housing policy for older people. However, just one report from the implementation group for this policy statement is currently available publicly online, and this is dated from 2019. We would ask that these reports are updated regularly and that the sectors that supported the development of the plan are involved in its implementation. Implementation of this report will go a long way to resolving some of the challenges facing older people. Without these reports and the meeting of these specific targets, ALONE is concerned that the issue of housing provision for older people could fall off the agenda and prevent all sectors from making further progress in this area. Therefore, ALONE recommends that the first priority of the joint committee is to ensure the 2019 joint policy statement and implementation plans be fully reviewed, updated and released publicly on a regular basis, and to ensure all outstanding actions aim to be completed by the end of 2022 where possible.

ALONE is happy to work with the relevant bodies to identify gaps and blocks and support delivery however we can. In addition to the actions outlined in the joint policy statement, ALONE believes we need to take a range of actions to meet the needs of our ageing demographic and to strengthen our communities. The housing stock that older people occupy is often in need of extensive work. Anyone who has purchased a house from probate will see this. While the housing adaptation grant application process has been streamlined to some extent, the grant requires significantly more funding.

Our research indicates that annual funding of €84.5 million would be required for older people alone. Also, 95% of the work is covered by the grant. Those on low incomes find it extremely difficult to pay the 5% where extensive works are required, as well as the additional costs involved in the application. ALONE recommends that funding for the housing adaptation grant be set at €84.5 million for older people to meet the demand and that, for individuals reliant on State transfers, the grant cover 100% of the cost of the work.

We need to increase the numbers of local authority, approved housing body, AHB, or other subsidised accommodation. The sustainability of homes on reduced post-retirement incomes is a concern. The current private rental model does not serve the vast majority of people after they retire. At ALONE, we see this already. We must adjust our system accordingly to ensure appropriate protections for tenants in the private rental sector, including long-term leasing. Measures such as cost rental schemes, as outlined in Housing for All, must be prioritised and delivered at scale.

The quarter 4 progress report on the implementation of Housing for All indicates that just 65 cost-rental homes had been tenanted by the date of publication. Long-term leases and cost rental must be prioritised and delivered on a greater scale, and other measures to protect older tenants must be introduced.

We need to continue to create the conversation, safeguards and incentives that allow older people to rightsize. Rightsized one- and two-bedroom units must be delivered within existing communities so older people can avail of family and community supports as well as enhancing their quality of life. These should be brownfield sites to help to rejuvenate our towns and villages where services and communities already exist. The demand from older people is nearly 60,000 homes. The proposal would release family homes back into the housing stock. The provision of rightsized modern housing will release homes to younger buyers almost instantly. The way these conversations have been approached in the past may not have helped this debate.