A parliamentary committee in Ireland was warned that unless a significant increase occurs in suitable social housing, the country could face an escalation in homelessness amongst the elderly. Sean Moynihan, CEO of Alone, a charity focused on supporting the elderly, indicated that housing was a crucial need in 2023. The charity had offered 535 instances of aid to elderly people at risk of homelessness or already homeless in the last year and that these housing issues have seen a consistent rise over the last decade.
The charity also highlighted an increase not only in homelessness amongst older persons but in private renting as well, and heightened needs for local authority housing. Homeownership amongst the elderly is decreasing, with ownership in retirement not assured, Mr. Moynihan added. The fact that more elderly people living alone in mortgage arrears was on the rise was also highlighted.
According to Moynihan, this situation is occurring at a time when Ireland is one of the fastest-ageing members of the EU. While the pension system is home-ownership based, there is no extensive provision for older people’s sheltered housing, unlike other jurisdictions. He further emphasised that unless decisions are taken about who will pay the rental cost upon retirement, homelessness amongst the elderly would continue to ascend. Population forecasts show that in the next two decades, the country will require twice the existing amount of social-housing suited for elderly people.
The committee was informed that there was a national-level reluctance to devise a strategic approach to housing for the elderly, with local authorities being the only reliable institutions offering safety and secure tenure for older individuals. According to Moynihan, a minimum of 25% of the newly developed social housing should be set aside for the elderly to prevent further homelessness. This amounts to approximately 40,000 homes, based on 2016 statistics.
Cork Simon Community, who also spoke at a joint committee on housing and local government, pointed out that the state of homelessness was now harsher than it had been in many years, indicating a rise in the number of people using their emergency shelters.
In 2023, individuals typically stayed for an average of 51 nights, marking a 16 per cent increase from the 44 nights of 2022. Long-term homelessness was characterised by an average stay of 227 nights, contributing to over half of the total bed nights.
There was a surging need for accommodation services at the Cork Simon Community’s Anderson’s Quay facility, with the number of long-term homeless individuals rising by a third compared to the previous year, amounting to a total of 67. It was pointed out to the committee that solving the long-term homelessness problem would liberate 42 beds every night in this location, thereby eliminating the exigency for street-sleeping within Cork City.
Moreover, the demand for the organisation’s soup run service doubled in a single year, from 19 individuals every night in 2022 to 38 every night in 2023. It was also noted that the notable rise of street-sleeping in Cork City necessitated the increased distribution of social housing for those confronting homelessness. In addition, the availability of specific housing and assistance for people transitioning from residential addiction treatment was emphasised.
At a national level, the number of individuals relying on emergency homeless accommodation has dramatically escalated from 8,060 in March 2021 to the current figure of 13,531, showing a stark 58 per cent increase.
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