Written answer
Housing Policy
Older social tenants can voluntarily rightsize through local-authority transfers; an action plan and local housing delivery plans will identify suitable homes, including in Cork Northwest.
112. Deputy John Paul O'Shea asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the measures are in place to help older social housing tenants who wish to move from a larger home to a smaller, suitable home in their own community; and whether additional right sizing homes are planned for Cork Northwest. [69268/26]
Comment on this
The Government is committed to increasing housing available to older people to facilitate ageing in place with dignity and independence and to supporting rightsizing on a voluntary basis. Delivering Homes, Building Communities includes measures to increase delivery of social housing for older people, increase delivery of more suitable homes and choice for older people in private housing, and increase choice to support voluntary rightsizing, including supporting social housing tenants who wish to rightsize to more suitable accommodation.
Delivering Homes, Building Communities also includes a commitment to develop an action plan on delivering housing for older people and this plan is currently under preparation and it is expected it will be completed in the coming months.
For older people living in social housing, rightsizing is facilitated through the social housing transfer process, where older people who choose to do so, may transfer from one local authority dwelling to another on the basis of their current dwelling being too large for their needs and local authorities will continue to support this.
The allocation and subsequent transfer of a tenancy is a matter for the relevant local authority in accordance with the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 and associated regulations. Local authorities work proactively with their tenants, having regard to their allocation scheme and the needs of their tenants, to actively support tenants who wish to rightsize to more suitable accommodation.
Under Delivering Homes, Building Communities each local authority, including Cork County Council, will prepare a Housing Delivery Action Plan (HDAP) setting out their planned delivery of social and affordable housing to 2030. In preparing their HDAP, each local authority will reflect local need to ensure the right mix of homes to respond to local need and priorities, including delivering social housing for the needs of older people. I expect these significant plans to be finalised before the end of the year.