The Role and Future Development of Supportive Housing for Older People in Ireland

The standard and suitability of older people’s accommodation is vital to their health and quality of life and a key factor in their capacity to take care of themselves or to be cared for should they become dependent. Good quality housing is a critical factor in the promotion of independence and the attainment of a good quality of life for older people. Older people’s housing circumstances broadly fall into the following categories: • homeownership sector • private rented sector • social housing sector (of which supportive housing is a subset) • living with relatives (in one’s own home or in a relative’s home) • homeless sector • long-stay care services sector. The Council recommends that housing policy and practice/delivery developments, designed to meet the needs of older people in any tenure, take account of all the factors that make older people’s accommodation unsuitable to their needs and preferences.