'Housing is at the root of all my concerns' says 55-year-old renter with cancer

42% of those consulted have experienced “high stress” via their experiences renting and the insecurity of their accommodation.

A quarter of older Irish people renting expect to remain doing so for the remainder of their lives, according to a new report.

The new report, commissioned by housing body Threshold and older persons charity ALONE, found that 42% of those consulted have experienced “high stress” via their experiences renting and the insecurity of their accommodation, and that this stress is impacting “all aspects of their lives”.

The report, which will be launched officially by housing minister Darragh O’Brien, notes that those older people expecting to remain renting for life feel that way as they believe no other accommodation options are open to them.

The study was compiled from interviews with “representative older renters” and a trawl of the Residential Tenancy Board’s (RTB's) datasets, its authors said. It focused on renters aged over 55. 

Over half of the study’s participants said they were in receipt of the housing assistance payment (HAP), the much-maligned system which sees private landlord rentals subsidised by the State in order to provide social housing.

While many said the payment is essential to their ability to afford accommodation, some said that the payment wasn’t enough to cover their rent, while just under a fifth of those asked said their landlords had either been reluctant or refused outright to accept HAP.

“Extremely high levels of vulnerabilities” were noted in the report’s findings, the authors said. They said that the stress of insecure accommodation was being “aggravated” by other areas of concern, including older age profiles, ill health, and low incomes. A 55-year-old interviewee who is recovering from cancer told the study: 

We didn't expect to be in this position. Housing is at the root of all my concerns — over and above my illness.

A woman, 72, told researchers: "Landlords are not interested in me, they won't accept HAP, they're not willing to take a chance on a pensioner. They have plenty of excuses, choose other people over you."

The authors said that while it is the case that the State is planning for the economic effects of an aging population, it is the report’s case that “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”.

'Considerable challenges' 

Speaking in light of the report’s findings, housing policy analyst Lorcan Sirr said there can be no "one-size fits all” approach to renting in Ireland.

“Older people are some of the most vulnerable in Ireland, and renting is one of the least secure tenures to live in,” Mr Sirr said, adding that for him the report represents “an incredibly valuable addition to the debates on tenure, housing, ownership and affordability”.

Minister for Housing Darragh O'Brien welcomed the joint research and said it would help inform policies, and target Government actions. Picture: Damien Storan

The report’s co-author Neil Haran meanwhile said that its findings had revealed “considerable challenges” associated with the State’s reliance on the private rental sector to accommodate so many of its citizens.

He said that it likewise shows that older renters in private tenancies are at a “disproportionate disadvantage” in the rental market, suffering from “high levels of stress, vulnerability, and a lack of predictability”.

Minister for Housing Darragh O'Brien welcomed the joint research and said it would help inform policies, and target Government actions.

"Housing for All, the Government's national strategy, mandates local authorities to develop and submit housing action plans for each of their local authority areas," he said.

"These plans must include provision for age-friendly housing, both social and private, and ensures that housing provision appropriate to the needs of older people will be delivered, matching the scale and extent of housing demand. Housing for All is backed by more than €4bn in funding ensuring we can meet and even exceed the objectives of the plan.

As people enter the so called 'golden years' of their lives we don't want them to suffer worry and stress if they are renting, we want them to have options. Rapidly increasing the supply of new homes, of all types, will provide those options.

ALONE chief executive Sean Moynihan said the report highlights an issue that has been growing for years.

"This evidence now further shows the housing needs of older people and proves the effect of no security of tenure for older people in the rental sector.

"Older people in private rented accommodation have lower standards of living and have poorer health & wellbeing outcomes."

"We need to plan and build for this increasing amount of people, before it is too late, for whom renting is their only housing option.

This report highlights the areas that we need to focus on now, including ring fencing social housing in line with demand, specifically for older people to meet this need now and in the near future. The alternative is that the current system will lead to large levels homelessness and poor housing conditions in old age.

Threshold national advocacy manager Ann-Marie O'Reilly said 17% of renters are from older demographics and that the findings of the report indicate "a poor outlook for older and ageing renters" across Ireland.

"It is critical that the recommendations provided in this report are taken into account and the private rental sector becomes a viable and sustainable option of housing for older renters in the coming years."