THERE HAS BEEN a 40% increase in elderly people experiencing housing difficulties, a new report by ALONE shows.

The housing charity, alongside Threshold, has said it had a higher number of people struggling with evictions, high rents and poor housing conditions in 2023 than in the previous year.

The number of older people in private rental accommodation has almost doubled between 2016 and 2022, according to Census figures, as home ownership is falling and homelessness among older people continues to increase, they said.

The charities are to address TDs and Senators in Leinster House today, when they will call for action to be taken “without delay” to ensure older people have access to suitable, secure and affordable housing.

In a study last May, ALONE and Threshold found that elderly renters face a “double deficit” – a deficit of appropriate housing in the private rental sector as well as an absence of a good housing plan for a “rapidly growing cohort”.

“The study contends that, in the context of Ireland’s current housing crisis, the absence of data and planning for older people’s accommodation is an immediate problem that requires an urgent, strategic response at national and local levels,” it said.

The charities hit out at the Department of Housing for not publishing the length of waiting lists for the Housing Adaptation Grants, as it had promised four years ago. A review into the grants was also to be published before the end of 2022, which the charities said has not been done.

Chief Executive of ALONE Seán Moynihan described it as “beyond belief” that wait times to get basic works done on an elderly person’s house are surpassing a year in some cases.

“Older people use these grants for works such as adapting their shower facilities, installing central heating, putting in stairlifts and other vital works,” he said.

“60% of people use the grants for bathroom adaptations and this is where most falls happen.

“While the focus in housing is mostly about first time buyers, practical things can be done to improve housing for older people now.”

The number of people over 65 renting from a private landlord increased by 83% between 2016 and 2022.