IPH response to the Department for Social Development Draft Regeneration and Housing Bill

IPH recognise that housing and regeneration initiatives are key determinants of health and have responded to the Department for Social Development (DSD), Draft Regeneration and Housing Bill.

Response to Northern Ireland Housing Executive Review of Housing and Health

The Institute of Public Health in Ireland welcomes the opportunity to comment on the Northern Ireland Housing Executive (NIHE), Review of Housing and Health – Towards a Shared Agenda policy.   The Institute aims to improve health in Ireland, North and South by working to combat health inequalities and influence public policies in favour of health. The Institute recognises the potential health impacts linked with housing and welcome the proactive approach NIHE is adopting. By identifying the wider determinants of health, the NIHE acknowledges that as a statutory organization they have a major role to play in contributing to improved health for Northern Ireland.   There are many causal pathways linking housing to health and due to the nature of social housing, a number of vulnerable groups, for example those on a low income or the Travelling Community are subject to NIHE policies.  Overall the policy outlines a number of key recommendations.  The Institute advise that the Implementation Plan which will incorporate the recommendations should outline targets which can be measurable, for example, under Objective 1 which identifies the reduction of fuel poverty.  We recommend that key targets are outlined to show what action the NIHE has set in accordance to measure a reduction in fuel poverty.

The Role and Future Development of Supportive Housing for Older People in Ireland

The Role and Future Development of Supportive Housing for Older People in Ireland The standard and suitability of older peopleâ?Ts accommodation is vital to their health and quality of life and a key factor in their capacity to take care of themselves or to be cared for should they become dependent. The NCAOP, therefore, welcomes an increased national policy focus on older peopleâ?Ts housing circumstances, as demonstrated in the current partnership agreement, Towards 2016: Ten-Year Framework Social Partnership Agreement 2006-2015 (Government of Ireland, 2006), and the National Action Plan for Social Inclusion 2007-2016 (Government of Ireland, 2007). Click here to download PDF 3mb

Older People's Experiences of Housing Exclusion

Older People’s Experiences of Housing Exclusion Click here to download PDF 625kb

Housing Strategy for People with a Disability 2011-2016 National Implementation Framework

Housing Strategy for People with a Disability 2011-2016 National Implementation Framework The Government's National Housing Strategy for People with a Disability was published in October 2011 by the Department of the Environment, Community & Local Government and the Department of Health. The strategy covers the period to 2016 and outlines the broad proposals and strategic objectives involved in effectively addressing the housing and related support needs of people with disabilities. The Implementation Framework develops the key actions from the Strategy and assigns responsibilities to stakeholders, within relevant timelines, and provides key performance indicators, as appropriate.   Click here to download PDF 3.8mb

Sophia Housing Gardening Project

Sophia Housing Gardening Project was set up in 2008. The Gardening Project has enhanced the living environment for the tenants and creates a space where people can socialize and interact. DCC Community Development Section Lead Initiative Type Community Food Growing Projects Location Dublin 8 Target Groups Homeless people Funding DCC Community Development Section Lead

An exploratory study of the wealth of older people in Ireland ��� North and South

In 2012, CARDI was asked by The Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister in Northern Ireland to carry out a series of research projects on ageing in Ireland, North and South. This study, An exploratory study of the wealth of older people in Ireland – North and South, was led by Professor Paddy Hillyard, Queen's University Belfast. It had the following objectives: Examine what information is available on the wealth of older people on the island of Ireland. Describe the type and level of housing, property and other assets. Provide comparable estimates of the wealth of older people in Northern Ireland (NI) and the Republic of Ireland (ROI). Draw out the policy implications of the research. Stimulate a wider discussion about wealth and inequalities. Key findings: In NI the total personal wealth was estimated at just under �100 billion. People aged 50 and under were estimated to have 35% of the total wealth, while people aged 50 and over had 65%. Existing data does not allow for a similar comparison in ROI. People aged 65+ in NI have a median disposable weekly income of �280 compared to �494 for those aged 25-49, �452 for those aged 50-64 and �251 for those aged 16-24. In ROI, people aged 65+ have a median disposable weekly income of €446 compared to €790 for those aged 25-49, €654 for those aged 50-64 and €418 for those aged 16-24. In NI, people aged 65+ have the highest rate of home ownership (63%) and the lowest level of outstanding mortgage (3%) of any age group. They also have the highest level of savings (�4,000 on average) but the lowest level of value of household goods (a median of �525). In ROI, 87% of people over 65 own their house outright and 2% own their house with a mortgage. The average value of savings held by this age group is €5,519. In ROI the total value of owner-occupied housing stock was estimated to be €280 billion, of which 54% was held by those under 50. In NI people over 50 had �42.5 billion (60%) of owner-occupied housing assets while those under 50 had �28.2 billion (40%).

Health Risks and Health Inequalities in Housing: an Assessment Tool

This tool is designed to assess the health risks of housing and the residential environment at the scale of a neighbourhood, housing stock or administrative area. For each health risk, the tool enables a judgement to be recorded about the level of health risk attributable to unhealthy or unsafe housing conditions, and for this to be compared with the adequacy of local practice in mitigating the risk.