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Housing Associations call on Housing Minister to support ‘logical’ alternative to nursing homes

  in ICSH News

‘Housing Associations call on Housing Minister to support ‘logical’ alternative to nursing homes’

Non-profit housing associations can offer a Fairer Deal to older people by helping them to stay within their own communities and live independently, with the right supports. This is according to members of the Irish Council for Social Housing (ICSH) who met with Minister for Housing Jan O’Sullivan T.D at the ICSH Mid-West Regional Meeting in Limerick today.

Mr Donal McManus, Executive Director, ICSH stated, ‘The review of the Fair Deal nursing home support scheme announced by Minister of State for Older People, Kathleen Lynch T.D last week is an important opportunity to look at alternative housing options for older people’.

Voluntary housing associations across Clare, Limerick and North Tipperary are providing a range of housing and supports for people who may otherwise be in nursing or institutional care. Glin Homes for the Elderly is one such scheme located in Cloverfield, Glin, Co Limerick and provides 20 homes for older people along with a range of services including social / leisure activities, meals and transportation. Mr Joe Kennedy, Chair of Glin Homes for the Elderly and ICSH Mid-West Representative, said, ‘it is important that the Government recognises the huge voluntary effort which maintains the strong infrastructure of supported housing across the Mid-West’.

Mr McManus commented ‘Supported housing goes beyond the basic provision of housing – this scheme and many others have provided local employment, a cost effective response to a housing need and has created a community hub for local young people, families and older people in the heart of the village’.

An ICSH research report found that in the mid-west region, there are 36 non profit housing associations providing over 520 units of accommodation for older people. The report found that there is a high demand for elderly units within the sector with nearly all the schemes offering a high level of on-site support to their tenants.

Mr Donal McManus, Executive Director, ICSH said ‘Housing associations can deliver housing and support services to older people locally and for significantly less than the cost of a bed in a public nursing home’. He added, ‘Home Care Packages can be bundled together for a number of tenants. This ensures cost savings and greater efficiency in service delivery’.

Mr McManus concluded by saying ‘The ICSH would ask the government, even within the reduced capital funding programme for social housing in the coming years, that the capital assistance scheme, the funding scheme targets the most vulnerable such as older people, the homeless and those with disabilities is prioritised. This capital programme will create and sustain employment as well as housing the most vulnerable in society’.

Ends

For further information contact Donal McManus or Caren Gallagher on 01 6618334

Notes for Editors/

  • The Irish Council for Social Housing is the National Federation of social housing organisations with up to 300 housing associations affiliated nationwide.
  • Housing associations now provide over 27,000 homes for families, elderly, homeless people and people with disabilities in every local authority area and serve over 500 local communities.
  • Further cuts are planned by 2016 to reduce the budget down to €182m which will dramatically impact on any serious provision of social housing in Ireland. This comprises €92m for social housing and €90m for LA regeneration and remedial works.
  • The number of households in housing need has increased across all three counties since 2008. Housing need has increased in Limerick by 69%, in Clare by 74% and in North Tipperary by 66%
  • Voluntary housing associations across Clare, Limerick and North Tipperary are providing a range of housing and supports for people who may otherwise be in nursing or institutional care.
  • Housing associations are active across the Mid West and can provide supported housing for older people at a fraction of the cost of public nursing homes. This model of housing enables older people to stay within their communities for longer instead of moving prematurely into nursing homes.
  • These housing associations are run by voluntary board members from the area.
  • Local authorities no longer have the resources to build or buy social housing unless in exceptional circumstances and the Minister for Housing Jan O’Sullivan in the most recent housing policy statement has put voluntary housing associations at the heart of future housing policy.
  • Statistics source: Ageing in Ireland CSO: 2007