Ireland sees surge in older adults facing homelessness as housing crisis deepens

Rose, a 62-year-old Dublin resident, is set to be evicted from the house she lived in for three decades and says she will have to seek hostel accommodation, a scenario she says is no longer limited to younger people. Across Ireland, the number of older adults in emergency housing has risen 168% since 2017, reaching 271 in August, while private-rental tenancy among those 65+ jumped 83% after the 2022 Census. Charities point to the aging population and falling home-ownership rates - projected to dip to 65% - as drivers of the trend, and experts like Seán Moynihan and Brídín Carroll stress the need for dedicated support and age-friendly social-housing units.

Personal accounts, including a 75-year-old chef who slept in his car and Mary Jane Farrer, now housed in a new senior-focused development, illustrate the human toll. The Department of Housing says an action plan for older-person housing is being finalised, and Budget 2027 allocates €543 million for emergency accommodation and support services, including for seniors.