Louth council urged to buy homes from older people seeking to downsize
A Louth councillor has made a direct appeal to Tánaiste Simon Harris for increased funding to allow older people to “right-size” to smaller homes, amid the “crisis in housing.”
The issue was raised at the April meeting of Louth County Council, where councillors discussed the local authority’s Age Friendly policy and the potential for downsizing schemes to free up larger homes for families on the social housing waiting list.
Councillors heard that Louth County Council can, in certain cases, purchase privately owned homes from older people who would be willing to move into more suitable, smaller accommodation. However, concerns were raised about the level of funding available to support the scheme.
Cllr Robert Nash said he had raised the matter directly with the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance during his visit to Louth earlier this week.
Cllr Nash told the meeting that Ireland has an ageing population of more than one million people aged 60 and over, with recent reports indicating that more than 200,000 people are living in homes with empty rooms.
“We keep talking about right-sizing, but it needs to be a national policy. We need the funding from central government,” he said.
He added: “I raised with the Tánaiste the issue of housing for older people. Funding needs to be released to local authorities to buy people’s houses, because we are facing a crisis with housing.”
Cllr Shane McGuinness said there was a clear need for more housing options specifically designed for older people. He called on the council, through the new County Development Plan, to consider “specific zoning” for age-friendly housing.
He said this would provide more options for older residents who may wish to downsize but want to remain within their own communities.
“More options are needed for older people who are living in big houses but are not able to downsize because they want to stay within their local community,” he said.
Cllr Kevin Meenan welcomed the council’s Age Friendly report and praised initiatives already underway to cater for people as they grow older. He pointed to developments such as Connolly’s Field in Dundalk, which provides housing for those aged over 55.
Cllr Pearse McGeough echoed calls for additional housing for senior citizens, stressing the importance of allowing people to remain close to family, friends and local supports.
“People need to live in their own communities,” he said.
Cllr Marianne Butler said the right-sizing scheme is already included in the council’s housing allocation scheme. She explained that in some cases the local authority can purchase a private home, with the former owner “effectively becoming a council tenant” after being allocated accommodation more suited to their needs.
She added that a number of one- and two-bedroom units are due to come on stream, which would be particularly suitable for older people.