Housing and care must align for Ireland’s ageing population
Commentary on Ireland’s housing crisis abounds. The ability of our housing system to meet the needs of people across Ireland is under continued scrutiny, writes Kath Cottier, CEO of Fold Housing.
At times, the disproportionate effect this is having and will have on older renters is missing from the conversation. The Residential Tenancies Board’s (RTB) Q3 2025 update shows average rent for new tenancies has risen to €1,696 per month, up 5.5 per cent year-on-year.
For older renters, these figures highlight the stark reality of Ireland’s rental market. Many older people are living on fixed incomes or modest pensions. With 26 per cent of all Irish adults living without a pension plan, up 21 per cent on last year, the ability to afford long-term private rental options is slipping away. Even those with pensions are worrying that their income cannot not guarantee a sustainable future.
Renting has become more precarious. In Q2 2025, the RTB recorded 4,728 notices of termination, up 17.2 per cent year-on-year, with more than half issued because landlords intend to sell. For older tenants, these notices do not just mean moving house, they mean upheaval, stress, and in many cases, the risk of homelessness.
While approved housing bodies (AHBs) are making a big difference in this area, with homes in management increasing to 52,989, up 11.7 per cent on 2024, demand still far outstrips supply.
Meanwhile, a shortage of nursing-home beds and lack of alternative housing options for people with care needs is having a negative impact on the quality of life of too many older people. Lack of access to nursing home places is now the leading reason for delayed hospital discharges.
Families are facing securing a home for their loved ones far outside their communities. As a result, older people are staying in acute hospitals longer and not because they need medical care, but because there is nowhere else for them to go.
Modelling shows that a 10 per cent increase in nursing home bed supply could free up 53 acute hospital beds daily, easing system-wide pressures. Furthermore, making more housing options available, including those that provide access to personalised care, could significantly improve quality of life whilst at the same time providing greater choice for older people.
Housing and care are two sides of the same coin. Without secure, affordable housing, older people risk instability. Without sufficient care options, some of the most vulnerable people in society risk being stranded in hospitals or unsafe homes.
Ireland needs a joined-up strategy that intrinsically links housing and care. This means scaling up age-friendly social and affordable housing delivery, investing in enhanced housing-with-care models, expanding grants so older people can safely remain in their communities, and strengthening rent protections in line with pension incomes. Most critically, housing and health policy must be aligned, ensuring older people can transition smoothly between independent living, supported housing, and care settings.
Without action, thousands of older renters face instability, loneliness, and unnecessary displacement. With foresight, we can build a housing and care system that allows every older person, not just homeowners, to live with dignity, stability, and security in later life.
