Cork council to create ‘step down’ housing projects for elderly and infirm

A number of ‘step down’ housing projects for elderly and infirm social housing residents are to be created in Co Cork.

Cork County Council has chosen one pilot project to start in Cobh and is looking at several other areas where the housing units could be developed.

The announcement was made at a meeting of the council’s southern division by Keith Jones, the head of the local authority’s housing directorate.

The council is trying to identify either new build projects or renovations of building in town centres, primarily on flat ground, where older people will have ease of access to shops, medical facilities, and churches.

The project has a two-pronged approach, as it would also free up larger housing units for young families.

It is primarily targeted at older singles and couples in houses where their children have grown up and left home, leaving rooms unoccupied.

LARGER HOUSES

Many older couples also find it hard to maintain larger houses and if outside a town centre, they want to move into its core.

Fianna Fáil councillor Gobnait Moynihan asked for more details on the project.

Mr Jones said that the council’s housing special purposes committee is drawing up a policy for such future step-down facilities and “a number of pilot projects”, although he did not identify exactly where they would be located, apart from the one in Cobh.

It is believed another of the first tranche of such projects will be in Youghal.

Independent councillor Ger Curley, who lives just 200m from the proposed development at Hartland’s Point on the eastern end of Cobh town, said the 12 units there will be designed for single people.

“It’s a great opportunity for older single people to move out of larger homes to new ones which will be much better,” Mr Curley said.

“It’s being built on council-owned land and it is near to everything they will need.”

However, Fianna Fáil councillor Sheila O’Callaghan received some negative feedback from Mr Jones about a previously planned affordable housing project in her home village of Watergrasshill.

Ms O’Callaghan was told that the 39 units at The Willows, in Bishop’s Island, which is on the southern side of the village, will not now go ahead as the developer has pulled out of the project.

Mr Jones said that the council is in constant contact with developers to pursue such projects throughout the county.