An Irish not-for-profit is calling on the Government to develop cohousing communities for people aged 50 and over.
Cohousing Communities Ireland has published a document which states that the country has “a major housing policy blind spot” because of the focus on first-time buyers and social housing.
It said the housing needs of many of the 1.76 million Irish people aged over 50, a figure expected to exceed two million by 2030, are being overlooked.
Cohousing Communities Ireland is calling on the Government to establish a “self-financing revolving development fund” to support the establishment of three first “demonstrator” cohousing communities in Dublin, Cork and Westport.
Cohousing is defined as independent living in a community for people aged 50 and over, which allows for privacy and independence of conventional homeownership within “a self-managing, purpose-designed community” of no more than 30 to 50 homes.
The initiative has been successful in other countries around the world, including the UK, US, Canada and Denmark.
The Irish representative group has pointed to a number of barriers in Ireland, including difficulty securing suitable sites, particularly in Dublin.
It has suggested that local authorities, the HSE, Defence Forces, the Land Development Agency and other public agencies be required to sell or release a percentage of their land for community-led housing for people aged 50 and over.
The document, which has been distributed to the Minister for Housing and Opposition TDs, suggests that eligibility for house purchase schemes should be broadened to include those on lower incomes whose homes are worth less than the new home.
It also suggests that mortgage providers should be offered bridging finance covering up to 90% of the new home’s cost on terms closer to normal mortgage rates and for terms of up to two years.
While Ireland has strong policies for older people, the document points out that they focus almost entirely on the ‘older-old’ and the frail, resulting in a policy vacuum for those aged closer to 50.
The not-for-profit has called for a legal definition of cohousing for people aged 50+ in legislation to give local authorities legitimacy to plan for cohousing, set targets, and embed commitments across housing, planning and ageing policies.
Cohousing Communities Ireland said developers will be resistant to cohousing until the demand for this type of housing is demonstrated, and it is proven that sales can be successful.