COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL
Monday, November 14, 2022
QUESTION NO. 47
QUESTION: Councillor F. Timmons
To ask the Chief Executive for details on step down accommodation planned to be built in the lifetime of this Council.
REPLY:
Under our Housing Delivery Action Plan (HDAP) 2022-2026, the Council, together with Approved Housing Bodies, plan to provide up to 600 high-quality, new age friendly homes to facilitate rightsizing and support older people to age in place and live independently for longer in their own communities. These homes, designed using best practice in design, location and supports by our Age Friendly Housing Technical Advisor include the following due for delivery in 2023 and 2024:
- 12 homes in Brady’s Field in Old Bawn to be completed in 2023
- 93 homes in St. Marks’ and Sallymills, Clondalkin to be completed in December 2022
- 131 homes in Fernwood, Maplewood and Whitestown Way, all in Tallaght, and 10 homes in Templeogue Village that will be ready for occupation in 2023
- 31 homes at St. Aonghus’ Green, Pearse Brothers’ Park and St. Ronan’s Crescent are due to be delivered in 2024.
In addition, potential additional age friendly homes are being explored for delivery in Citywest, Rathcoole, Lucan, Bawnogue, Walkinstown and Tallaght under the HDAP including in AHB & private developments.
The Council’s Rightsizing Policy, adopted by the Elected Members in December 2020, provides for allocation of age friendly homes to people aged 55 or older through the housing list (including homeless, medical priority or HAP transfers), transfers (existing Council tenants rightsizing) or the community list (financial contribution for private homeowners rightsizing). Up to 10% of homes in new age friendly housing developments will, at first allocation, be made available to applicants from the Community List (Private Home Owners).
Our 2020 County Age Friendly County Strategy highlighted local demographic and underoccupancy challenges following a significant census-on-census increase in the number and age profile of older people and noting that over 11% of our three- and four-bedroom social homes are occupied solely by just one or two older people living in homes. Our Age Friendly Healthy Homes Co-ordinator engages on a case-by-case basis with older person households to discuss rightsizing and other housing and healthcare supports.