COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF CLONDALKIN AREA COMMITTEE

Wednesday, September 15, 2021

MOTION NO. 11

MOTION: Councillor F. Timmons

Cathaoirleach's Business

"That this Committee asks South Dublin County Council to look at Part 8s that focus on step down accommodation and supported living accommodation to free up much needed housing for families and to ensure that supports are in place for those needing it. That South Dublin County Council work on a report of options and bring to this committee as a headed item as a matter of urgency given the Housing needs locally, (The report for this motion should include the needs for both step down and supported accommodation needs in the Clondalkin Area).

REPORT:

The Motion raises important considerations in relation to underoccupancy of current tenancies and homes without tenancies where there is significant underoccupancy, each of which require separate but equally important responses to address the issues raised.

As outlined during the adoption of the County Age Friendly Strategy in late 2020, people in Ireland are living longer and healthier lives due to improvements in healthcare and lifestyles and as part of the Strategy a commitment has been made to deliver a range of age friendly housing developments across the County to support older people rightsizing to more appropriate accommodation that will support living independently for longer in their communities.  The intention with age friendly housing is to provide secure, adaptable accommodation designed to meet the needs of older people and to facilitate supports being delivered on or close to home as necessary.  In this context the potential to free up local homes where older people are living alone in three or four bedroom properties will be pursued as a possible voluntary option where it is right for the person.  The Council will be able to provide and facilitate a range of supports both in preparation for moving and for living in new age friendly accommodation.  When the Strategy was adopted in September 2020,. a supporting presentation on age friendly housing developments signalled five initial sites, three of which are subject to current Part 8 proposals and a further two sites, both within the administrative area of the Clondalkin Area Committee (at Deansrath/Melrose and Alpine Heights), for which designs are to be progressed.  While additional sites are also being examined across this area and the wider County to deliver on the policy commitments outlined above, in recognition of issues raised in consultations for the current Part 8s, the approach to site selection and design for future sites will be explored with the Housing Strategic Policy Committee before we return to local Area Committees with additional proposals for age friendly housing developments.  When returning to Area Committees, the discussion will be informed by updated information relating to local rightsizing applications from Council tenants and private home owners as well as details of the housing need of older persons in the area.

Separately, the challenge of providing appropriate accommodation and support requirements for single people with complex needs, especially where those persons are currently in occupation of a Council dwelling without a formal tenancy requires a range of responses on solutions to resolve the issue of the absence of a tenancy and, more importantly, to meet the complex needs of the individuals involved.  This requires a range of co-ordinated actions from the Council, Approved Housing Bodies (as providers of transitional or supported accommodation) and health/social care interventions on an individual basis that are not readily applicable across all such cases.  The Council's estate management team, in the first instance, liaise in relation to the tenancy issues and then signpost and refer to other agencies to become involved but the absence of sufficient supported accommodation for single people in the County together with the likely challenges for new provision of such accommodation will have to be addressed in conjunction with the relevant agencies.