This report evaluates the second phase of the ‘Housing with Support’ development in Inchicore. Housing with Support is a specialised housing option, primarily for older people, that falls between living independently in the community and living in a nursing home or other form of long-term care. This evaluation examines the successes and barriers in this phase, the reasons why they happened, and the solutions involved. It provides a useful tool in understanding the complex nature of this project and how the partnership process between stakeholders worked.
To read the full report please visit the Evaluation of Phase 2 of the Dublin City Age Friendly ‘Housing with Support Model’ in Inchicore page.
To read the related report please visit the How to Develop a Housing with Support Scheme for Older People: Framework Toolkit page.
This study is the third in the Housing Agency series National Study of Housing Experiences, Attitudes and Aspirations in Ireland. Previous reports were published in 2018 and 2019. The 2020 National Study of Housing Experiences, Attitudes and Aspirations in Ireland aims to measure householders’ satisfaction levels with homes and neighbourhoods, and also their future housing aspirations.
The study took place in December 2020, ten months into the pandemic. The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on householders was assessed through new questions.
Download the Residential Satisfaction during the Covid-19 Pandemic in Ireland 2020.
This toolkit has been developed as a mechanism of capturing and sharing the learning arising from the Dublin City Age Friendly Housing with Support project. The overall aim is to provide a guide, particularly for social housing providers (to include local authorities and approved housing bodies (AHB) interested in developing Housing with Support projects for older people. It may also be useful to private developers interested in developing this type of housing.
It incorporates learnings from phase one and phase two of the Housing with Supports project.
To read the full report please visit the How to Develop a Housing with Support Scheme for Older People: Framework Toolkit page.
To read the related report please visit the Evaluation of Phase 2 of the Dublin City Age Friendly ‘Housing with Support Model’ in Inchicore page.
On Thursday 23rd June, The Housing Agency was asked to attend the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing to discuss the Remediation of Dwellings Damaged by the Use of Defective Concrete Blocks Bill 2022. The Housing Agency's CEO, Bob Jordan was joined by Peadar Espey, The Housing Agency’s Programme Manager for the Defective Concrete Blocks Grant Scheme for the committee session.
The opening statement and video recording of the committee session can be found in fulll on the Oirechtas website.
A report being launched today (31st March), commissioned by the Housing Agency and the Irish Council for Social Housing (ICSH) and carried out by Professor Michelle Norris and Dr. Aideen Hayden of UCD finds that strong and integrated communities have developed among the private and social housing residents in mixed tenure estates, and that there is overwhelming support for tenure mixing as a key policy to combatting socio-spatial segregation. Over the past twenty years, the percentage of Approved Housing Body (AHB) owned or managed social housing located in mixed tenure estates has increased from 20% to 78.2%; this reflects state policy objectives and measures such as Part V.
The report, Social Housing in Mixed Tenure Communities, looks at social housing provided by approved housing bodies (AHBs) in mixed tenure developments, the reasons why decisions are made to cluster or disperse social housing in these estates and how well these models work from both AHB staff and tenant perspectives. An important key finding is that both clustered and dispersed social housing has worked well, despite the consensus in favour of the dispersal of social housing. ‘Tenure blind’ design of mixed tenure housing was considered more important (in both the research literature and case study interviews) for the integration of residents of different tenures than the location of the social rented dwellings. This can be applied in both clustered and dispersed settings.
The report also identifies that high standards of housing management are important for the success of mixed tenure estates but that management can be challenging, particularly in view of the stigma that still attaches to social housing. Approved housing bodies’ strong record in this regard is identified as another factor contributing to the success of the case study estates.
Speaking at today’s launch Donal McManus, ICSH Chief Executive says:
“This report documents a success story that needs to be shared. The majority of the AHB tenants, private owners and private tenants interviewed for the research agree that tenure mixing is positive. Also, initial homeowner preconceptions about AHBs and social residents becoming their neighbours, were alleviated over time. Interviews with social residents reveal that community integration in general is of greater importance than the location of their home, and that non-housing amenities, such as playgrounds and inclusion in residents’ committees can help cement the bonds of community. Critically too, the research interviews with AHB CEOs and staff did not identify any great difficulty in the management of mixed tenure over single tenure estates. The sector has the skills and knowledge required.”
The research identifies additional factors, such as procurement and funding models, as well as estate design, which influence the delivery and location of social housing in mixed tenure estates. A significant finding of the analysis is the important role that social housing plays in underpinning the financial viability of market housing provision in mixed tenure estates. The practical advantage for social landlords of purchasing whole apartment blocks for social housing, and the benefits this offers to developers faced with the upfront financing required to develop apartment blocks is helping to drive the clustering of this tenure. The report calls for a holistic assessment of the impact of residential density guidelines (intended and unintended) and research on ways of achieving density without relying entirely on high-rise.
Co-Author of the report, Professor of Social Policy and Director of the Geary Institute for Public Policy, UCD says:
“This research represents important learning for us. The socio-economic issues arising from the spatial concentration of low-income households and the impact of social mixing have been much studied internationally. However, the volume of Irish research has been small. The lack of information on tenure mixing in Ireland represents a critical knowledge gap and its implementation as a policy may also be challenged given current developments in housing policy. This research aims to bridge these information gaps and raises important considerations for housing policy such as design (tenure blind) and layout, the tenure mix of neighbouring communities, density issues, appropriate funding to support management fees and planning and housing policy to support the monitoring of socio-spatial segregation.”
Bob Jordan, Chief Executive of the Housing Agency added:
“The Housing Agency is strongly committed to promoting sustainable communities through mixed tenure. Approximately eight out of every ten homes owned or managed by Approved Housing Bodies are in mixed tenure estates and this proportion is likely to grow in the years ahead. This research shows that tenure mixing can improve the quality of life of the residents of all tenures and it can benefit surrounding neighbourhoods as well. Key to community integration is ‘tenure blind’ design, good estate management, the provision of amenities including playgrounds and community centres, and the work of residents’ associations. The Housing Agency is pleased to have supported this research and we look forward to advancing its recommendations.”
A video recording of the event is available on our YouTube channel here.
About The Housing Agency
The Housing Agency is a Government body working with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, local authorities and Approved Housing Bodies in the delivery of housing and housing services. The Agency’s vision is to achieve an integrated housing system, meeting the nation’s housing needs and promoting sustainable communities. It does this by providing evidence-based housing insights and data that inform thinking and policy-making; by working with others to enable the delivery of housing solutions and to implement programmes and actions in Government housing policy; and by equipping itself and its stakeholders with the capacity required to respond quickly and effectively to challenges in the housing system. For more information, visit www.housingagency.ie or follow The Housing Agency on Twitter and LinkedIn.
About the Irish Council for Social Housing
The Irish Council for Social Housing (ICSH) was established in 1982 and is the national social housing federation of nonprofit voluntary and other national housing associations. The ICSH represents approximately 270 member organisations that own and manage 45,000 homes and house 100,000 people including families on a low income, older people, disabled people and households experiencing homelessness. ICSH members operate in every local authority area in the country and in over 500 communities across Ireland. www.icsh.ie
About the Researchers
Professor Michelle Norris is UCD Head of the School of Social Policy, Social Work and Social Justice and teaches social policy on the Bachelor of Social Science and Master of Public Policy degrees. Her teaching and research interests focus on housing policy and urban regeneration, particularly on: the management and financing of social housing; the regeneration of social housing estates and inner urban areas; comparative analysis of housing provision in Europe and the history and socio-economic implications of Irish housing policy and its relationship with the welfare state. She has led over 20 research project on these issues since 2000 and produced 50 publications on the results. In 2011 she was appointed by the Taoiseach as an independent member of the National Economic and Social Council (NESC) and in 2012, was appointed by the Minister for the Environment as Chair of the Board of the Housing Finance Agency.
Dr Aideen Hayden is a PhD graduate of the school of Social Policy, Social Work and Social Justice and received a 2016 UCD Alumni Award for Social Science. She is a former Senator (former Seanad Eireann Spokesperson on Housing, Children and Youth Affairs, Spokesperson on Finance and Spokesperson on European Affairs, as well as Vice-Chair of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform). For almost three decades, Aideen has served as Chair of Threshold, the leading advice and advocacy organisation working on behalf of tenants in the private rented sector.
Social Housing in Mixed Tenure Communities Report
Social Housing in Mixed Tenure Communities Report Summary
New National Housing Strategy for Disabled People
The second National Housing Strategy for Disabled People 2022 – 2027 was published on 14th January 2022 by the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage (DHLGH) with the Department of Health (DoH) and the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY).
The second Strategy to 2027 will build on the considerable achievements of the 2011 Strategy, continuing the journey of the last 10 years which saw many people with disabilities allocated suitable housing, new structures developed to align housing provision with needed health and social care supports, progress made on decongregation into community residential care and increasing awareness and understanding of disability and housing within housing and disability services.
The 2022 Strategy re-echoes the vision of the first Strategy with a particular emphasis on disabled people having choice and control over their living arrangements. It seeks ‘to facilitate disabled people to live independently with the appropriate choices and control over where, how and with whom they live, promoting their inclusion in the community; and to further enable equal access for disabled people to housing with integrated support services’.
This new Strategy has been developed to clearly present Government’s vision for housing for disabled people:
- by the three key Departments involved
- following a comprehensive 8-month, 2-phase consultation including online focus groups held with the Disability Participation and Consultation Network
- to support and strengthen the co-operation and collaboration of Government departments, state agencies, local authorities and others in delivering housing and related supports for disabled people over the next five years
A thematic approach to delivery is set out in the Strategy with each theme having desired outcomes that when delivered will contribute to the overall vision. The six themes include accessible housing and communities and affordability of housing alongside themes related to further developing knowledge, capacity and expertise across the sector and collaboration between the policy and delivery partners across the State. Key elements of progress from the 2011 Strategy in the new 2022-2027 Strategy are:
- The Vision for the new Strategy has evolved from the first Strategy and, driven by the feedback to the consultation, now places independent living and being included in the community at its centre
- The new Strategy aligns with the principles and provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and implementation of the new Strategy will be monitored through a UNCRPD lens
- the structures that were established under the first Strategy, and which are widely regarded as being key to the progress made, have been reviewed and the new Strategy seeks to improve their operation and overall effectiveness.
Attention now turns to work on the very important Implementation Plan for the Strategy, the preparation of which will be overseen by The Housing Agency, and to be published by mid-year, detailing how outcomes will be achieved. Pending development of the Implementation Plan, a number of Actions requiring immediate progress are included by Theme.
The suite of documents accompanying the Strategy can be found below.
- National Housing Strategy for Disabled People 2022-2027
- National Housing Strategy for Disabled People 2022-2027 (Word Version)
- National Housing Strategy for Disabled People 2022-2027 Executive Summary
- An Straitéis Tithíochta Náisiúnta do Dhaoine faoi Mhíchumas 2022 - 2027
- An Straitéis Tithíochta Náisiúnta do Dhaoine faoi Mhíchumas 2022 - 2027 Achoimre Fheidhmeach
- National Housing Strategy for People with a Disability 2022 - 2027 Easy Read Version
- National Housing Strategy for Disabled People Executive Summary 2022-2027 Plain English
- National Housing Strategy for Disabled People 2022 - 2027 Consultation Report
- National Housing Strategy for Disabled People 2022 - 2027 Implementation Plan
- National Housing Strategy for Disabled People 2022 - 2027 Implementation Plan Easy Read Version
- National Housing Strategy for Disabled People 2022 - 2027 Implementation Plan Accessible Word Version
Supplementary Documents:
- Analysis of Households with a Disability Basis of Need for Social Housing
- Collaborative Working in the Housing and Disability Steering Groups
- Disability and Housing: Approaches in Other Jurisdictions
- Review of the National Housing Strategy for People with a Disability 2011-2016 (extended to 2021)
Community-Led Housing is a ground-up approach which enables people to pool their collective resources to create homes that are accessible and affordable to all. It understands housing not as just the ‘provision of houses,’ but the empowerment of diverse, sustainable communities.
SOA Research has launched its new publication series, Roadmapping a Viable Community-Led Housing Sector for Ireland, which comprises a series of handbooks on Community-Led Housing, offering guidance in the areas of Policy, Finance, Land and Getting your Group Ready.
Supported by The Housing Agency, The Land Development Agency, Ó Cualann Cohousing Alliance and the Goethe lnstitut Irland, SOA Research initiated and coordinated a 12-month research project to roadmap a Community-Led Housing infrastructure for Ireland, which culminates in this new publication series. Project stakeholders included eight Irish CLH groups as well as public and private sector housing practitioners in Ireland and across Europe.
Read the publication series below:
This report presents a review of the role of social workers and other personnel employed by local authorities specifically to assist Travellers with their accommodation needs.
It was commissioned by The Housing Agency on behalf of the Minister of State at the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.
This publication was written by Michelle Norris, Angela Palmer, Joanne Kelleher and Jim Campbell, School of Social Policy, Social Work and Social Justice, University College Dublin.
Since the mid-1960s, local authorities have employed social workers to support Travellers in meeting their accommodation needs. Since then, the nature and scale of the demands on local authority housing departments have changed and local authorities have taken on new housing responsibilities.
This report found continuing levels of accommodation need among this community and makes a number of recommendations to improve the effectiveness of this service in the context of the wider local authority housing service. This includes the implementation of the recommendations of the Traveller Accommodation Expert Review 2019.
The views expressed in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of The Housing Agency, the Minister of State or the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.