AQW 9298/16-21

Mr Roy Beggs
Ulster Unionist Party
East Antrim

Tabled Date: 11/01/2017
Answered On Date: 25/01/2017
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister for Communities to outline the steps his Department is taking to support the provision of more (i) private; and (ii) public sector housing for older people.

Answer:

(i)My Department has been undertaking work to support older people to remain in their own private sector homes. Along with the Department of Health, my Department completed an Interdepartmental Review of Housing Adaptation Services and a report was published in 2016. My Department also continues to fund Disabled Facilities Grant which provides funding to adapt private sector homes for people with disabilities, including older people, to remain in their own home.

The draft Programme for Government, which was out to public consultation at the end of 2016, contains, within the draft Housing Delivery Plan, a number of actions designed to increase the supply of housing for older people.

(ii) The Interdepartmental Review of Housing Adaptation Services also covers the social housing sector.

In terms of new build social housing, the Social Housing Development Programme (SHDP) aims to provide for the specific needs of older people both through general needs and supported housing. In addition, all new build social homes are built to ‘Lifetime Homes Standards’, ensuring that homes can be easily adapted to meet the changing needs of tenants.

In light of an ageing population, my Department has been exploring other options to address social housing need for older people. In particular, new design and space standards for wheelchair accommodation have recently been introduced as part of the SHDP which will improve the range, quality and flexibility of accommodation for wheelchair users, many of whom are older.