A proposed development of 90 new sheltered housing units, a day care centre and an Alzheimer's unit has been put to Dublin City Council by voluntary housing association Circle, writes Steven Carroll.
A €17 million planning application has been lodged with Dublin City Council for the redevelopment of a sheltered housing project on a two-acre site at St Bricin's Park, Dublin 7. The proposed development will include 90 new sheltered housing units for older people, a day care centre and an Alzheimer care unit.
Sheltered housing is designed to meet the needs of elderly people who need occasional support and assistance but do not require full residential care. This type of housing is well regarded and supported by organisations working with older people.
Circle Voluntary Housing Association (VHA), the group behind the St Bricin's project, was established in 2003. It currently manages almost 160 such homes in Dublin.
Circle plans to demolish the 68 existing units of bed-sit accommodation on the site, which are owned and managed by Dublin City Council, and replace them with a larger low density development that will serve residents and elderly people in Stoneybatter, Dublin.
Justin O'Brien, Circle chief, says: "Dublin City Council is seeking to improve the standard of care for elderly people and the existing units at St Bricin's Park are not adequate. Together we hope to develop a better environment and provide quality lifetime adaptable accommodation for our residents.
"The development will allow the residents to live in their own home in an inner city area and not feel vulnerable because there will be a support structure in place," he says.
This large-scale sheltered scheme of 90 apartments, designed for older people who can live independently or for those who need support, will be built and managed by Circle. The scheme includes 18 two-bed units for people with physical disabilities, for which the Cheshire Ireland organisation will provide services.
Circle will also manage a day care centre, which will provide meals, a communal meeting place and other services such as assisted bathing and medical treatment for the elderly people living in the units and locally in the Stoneybatter area.
A facility that will accommodate up to 12 people with Alzheimer's is also being built. It will feature a secure sheltered environment with its own garden area, individual bedrooms and a shared kitchen, dining and living room. It will be managed and staffed 24 hours a day by the Alzheimer Society of Ireland.
Circle estimates the project will cost €17 million and, if the development gets the go-ahead, funding for the residential units will come from the Department of the Environment and Dublin City Council, with the Health Service Executive (HSE) providing funding for the day care centre. Circle, which is approved by the Department of the Environment, hopes this development will get under way early next year.
The sheltered housing project will be run on a tenancy basis with Circle acting as landlord. The tenants will pay a rent based on their income, which is expected to be about €60 per week. Day care centre costs will be paid separately by the tenants who use the facility.
The residents of the existing units at St Bricin's Park will be accommodated in the new facility and Dublin City Council will provide them with alternative housing during development.
Sheltered housing in Ireland dates from the 1960s when a number of schemes were developed by local authorities and voluntary housing associations. It has continued to develop since then in both sectors.
The majority of older people live independently and the bulk of their housing needs are met through owner occupation. However, not all elderly people own their own homes and they have to look elsewhere for accommodation.
In 1984 the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government introduced capital funding for housing associations which had a dramatic impact on the growth of voluntary housing provision particularly on social housing for the elderly. The availability of this funding has allowed organisations such as Circle VHA to build and cater for older people in sheltered housing projects.
In 2005 an Irish Council for Social Housing study surveyed 79 housing associations providing housing for the elderly. It found there were 3,165 units of sheltered accommodation available for elderly people.
These sheltered housing facilities range from low support, which are clustered accommodation centres with visiting services, to high-support facilities that include on-site food and medical services.
Local authorities provide the majority of these units and most of them are low-support units located in Dublin. The number of units is expected to increase annually under provisions for more sheltered housing in the National Development Plan.
Eamon Timmins, of Age Action Ireland, believes Ireland needs more centrally located sheltered housing so as to allow the elderly to continue living in their communities. His organisation is campaigning to ensure that older people can live independently for as long as they wish.
"Sheltered housing is a real option that the Government should examine," he says. "At present in Ireland we have quite a young population but this is not always going to be the case and 20 per cent of our population will be older people by 2036 . The Government should change policy to facilitate this change and provide an extra housing option to older people," he says.
"Not everyone needs to move into a nursing home as they get older and sheltered housing is an excellent way for elderly people to maintain a high level of independence, live in a secure environment and continue to feel as if they are part of a community. It is an ideal middle ground," he says.