Press release
Significant savings could be made by investing in Supported Housing for older people
From Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage
Published on
Last updated on
From Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage
Published on
Last updated on
The State can save €53 million per year – or €900 million over 30 years – as a result of direct public investment in Supported Housing for older people, research conducted by The Housing Agency has found.
‘Thinking Ahead: The Financial Benefits of Investing in Supported Housing for Older People’, found that, by supporting people to live in homes suited to their needs, an average annual Government saving of €4,650[ii] per person can be made, compared to that individual remaining in their current home or moving into long term residential care.
The figures are based on the provision of Supported Housing for 11,400 people over the next 10 years, a number derived from expected projections in Ireland’s population aged over 80 during this time period.[iii]
Supported Housing is housing built specifically for older people, offering some level of care and support. It is an alternative to long-term residential care.
At the launch of this research today, co-authors Roslyn Molloy and Rory Mulholland outlined the range of Supported Housing options explored and the benefits derived from each:
Privately-funded Supported Housing could potentially generate annual savings of €4,000, €9,200 and €20,000 for each accommodation type respectively. Additional savings from private provision are due to the absence of capital costs being met up-front by the State.
Launching the report, Minister of State with responsibility for Local Government and Planning, Peter Burke TD, said:
"As a nation we are living longer, and the number of older people in our population is set to grow significantly in the next ten years. In response, this government recognises the need to plan ahead to meet the housing and healthcare needs of an ageing population. This research is a significant step in our ongoing work in this area."
Chief Executive of The Housing Agency, John O’Connor, said:
"While this research began pre- COVID-19, its relevance as we continue to deal with the global pandemic is clear.
"This year has shown us the power of community. Through Supported Housing, many older people can remain in their own communities and maintain a level of independence that would otherwise be lost. It strengthens their connection to family and friends, and provides for a secure home with private outdoor and indoor space.
"For many people, residential nursing home care will always remain as the most appropriate form of care into their later years. But for others, the availability of a Supported Housing option would provide a welcome alternative and come with a significant saving to the State. Such savings come from preventing or delaying the need for an older person to access nursing home care, but also by reducing the care needs of those who would otherwise stay in standard accommodation."
Research outlined in Thinking Ahead: The Financial Benefits of Investing in Housing for Older People was conducted as part of a range of recommended actions under the policy statement ‘Housing Options for Our Ageing Population’, published by the government in March 2019.
You can access Thinking Ahead: The Financial Benefits of Investing in Housing for Older People here: www.housingagency.ie/ageing-population-research.