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RTÉ News
3 days ago
- General
- RTÉ News
'Hugely distressing for more and more' people facing homelessness in retirement
It is described as the ticking time bomb of the housing crisis. Many people wonder if they will ever afford to buy a home and how they will pay for rising rents in retirement. A recent meeting of the National Homeless Action Committee heard that housing charities and advocacy groups are sounding alarm bells over an increasing trend of people in their 60s needing to access emergency accommodation for the first time, with specific reference to Galway. The City of the Tribes has seen eight consecutive quarters of high rental inflation, a concerning trend, according to the Residential Tenancies Board. Galway Simon Community confirmed that it is seeing more and more older people entering homelessness for the first time. 66-year-old Carmel moved to the city from Dublin to be close to her son and grandchild nine years ago but has struggled to find a home. She qualifies for the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) but "landlords won't accept it", she says, in such a competitive rental market. Carmel began working as a live-in carer for sick and elderly people to pay her bills, but also as a roof over her head. However, having injured her shoulder recently, she is no longer able for the physical work of personal care. Carmel is still living in the home of a previous client because she has "nowhere to go". With weekly pension payments of "€300 a week" and rent for apartments in Galway of around "€2,000 euro a month", she describes her situation as "impossible" and "soul destroying". "I never thought I'd be homeless," she told RTÉ's Drivetime, as she spoke of her constant stress and uncertainty that "feels like a dead end, like I'm never going to have a place where I can relax and call home". For Mary Jane, who is 65, it was "absolutely terrifying" to get an eviction notice from the Co Galway flat that she had be renting for seven years. The former chef raised her daughters in the city, but had to give up restaurant work in recent years due to back problems and found it "hard to get HAP" so she had to move. When that property was being sold, Mary Jane faced not knowing whether she would be "sleeping in a doorway, or on somebody's floor" or where she would be. She described her situation as "very frightening" at a time when she had hoped to plan her retirement. "I never thought I would become homeless" at this age, she added, tearfully, speaking of feeling "constantly sick" and crying at night. "It was just horrible, you just don't expect it," Mary Jane added. Across Ireland, 15,580 people are living in emergency accommodation, according to the most recent figures from the Department of Housing, with 244 of them - or 2% - over the age of 65. Facing homelessness in retirement is "hugely distressing for more and more" people, according to Galway Simon Community. With more people renting rather than owning their homes, Chief Executive Karen Golden said that when people "reach pension age and their income decreases fairly substantially, they're no longer able to afford the rising rents" in what she described as the "deeply problematic private rental sector". Galway Simon Community recently developed a block of ten one-bedroom A-rated apartments specifically designed for older people and those with impaired mobility. The building, on a former derelict site next to its 24/7 emergency hostel facility and support services, receiveved funding support from the Department of Housing through Galway City Council. According to Ms Golden, the plan is "to provide accessible homes with security for older people who could be otherwise facing homelessness", adding that she "would advocate for more of this type of development in Galway and elsewhere because it is so badly needed". The ten apartments were occupied within a week of their launch and could have been filled "many times over", according to Galway Simon, as it endeavors to provide a positive outcome for more pensioners in precarious housing situations, including Carmel, who said she does not know "what's going to happen to her in the future". Mary Jane was one of the fortunate ones to finally get her "forever home" in the development and is already "planning Christmas" with her grandchildren there. She spoke of "relief, when you come into somewhere, you know it's safe and secure, and yours for your lifetime" where you can "breathe and relax". "It's what we all deserve," she added, and it is "so important to feel that".
Irish Independent
18-06-2025
- Business
- Irish Independent
Applications for 28 long-term rental homes in Cork city now open
The new Cost Rental homes are located in Longview, in the northside city suburb, and delivered by Clúid in partnership with Cork City Council. The rents for these homes will be up to 30% below the average for the area. Clúid opened applications for the next two weeks, which can be made up until 5pm on Wednesday, July 2. Interested applicants will be able to apply for one of the five brand new two-bed houses, with a rent of €1,340 per month, or one of the 23 three-bed houses with a rent of €1,479 per month. Clúid expects residents to begin getting their keys in late August. Interested parties need to register their interest online, via and upload supporting documentation to the online portal. Documents required include proof of identity, bank statements to prove household income, and employer and landlord references. Colin Byrne, head of affordable rental at Clúid Housing, said: 'We're delighted to be opening our third Cost Rental scheme in Cork City at Longview. Ballyvolane is a buzzing suburb, with a range of retail and leisure options, and Cork City Centre is easily accessible by public transport,' he said. 'We anticipate all these factors will lead to high levels of interest.' ADVERTISEMENT Learn more Mr Byrne recommended those interested in the housing to start the application process as soon as possible. The homes are near the schools and shops of Ballvolane, with Cork City and a range of employment hubs in close proximity. As well the landscaped green areas, play spaces and a new greenway within the scheme, residents can also enjoy the open space and amenities of Glen River Park, just a short walk away. Cost Rental homes is a new form of renting housing tenure in Ireland and are designed for people who do not qualify for social housing or other support like Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) but also struggle to rent in the open market. To be eligible for Cost Rental homes, applicants must be able to prove that their household income is below €59,000 per year, they do not receive housing support, they can afford the rent, they don't own a property already and the household is the correct size for the home. The Longview Cost Rental homes were delivered by Clúid in partnership with Cork City Council, and with the support of the Department of Housing, Heritage and Local Government, The Housing Agency and the Housing Finance Agency. The developer is Longview Estates Ltd. and the main contractor is Cork-based CField Construction.
Irish Independent
16-06-2025
- Politics
- Irish Independent
Wexford family with ‘profound medical needs' removed from choice-based letting system as council accused of lacking ‘humanity'
Explaining that the family in question had registered for WCC's choice-based letting (CBL) system which allows social-housing applicants to 'bid' on available properties, Cllr Dwyer said they had recently received an offer of housing from the council. 'There are three adults currently living in one house, two of them with profound medical needs,' began the New Ross councillor. 'They were offered a two-bedroom house via CBL, which was totally unsuitable given the medical needs of one of the adults; they didn't even bid on this house. But because they didn't accept the offer they've now been removed from CBL. This is shameful. 'They have medical reports which specify the need for a three-bed house and yet they've been arbitrarily moved and now can't bid on anything.' The independent councillor then went on to highlight two further cases which he felt had been handled poorly by the council's housing department. 'There's a person with a 10 per cent ownership of a derelict house, he's one of ten siblings. He has been refused access to WCC's housing list, instead he's been given access to Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) – offering that to a single person is nonsensical. The availability of HAP properties in Co Wexford is non-existent. That person should be allowed to go on the housing list.' The last case Cllr Dwyer wished to bring attention to involved WCC's policies regarding providing social houses for those with criminal convictions. 'We have a five-year disbarment policy for a criminal conviction,' he said. 'Now I'm someone who has argued that criminals should not be given council houses, however, there's an unforeseen but well-known fall-out from this. The children and partners of those who have been convicted of relatively minor offences are suffering; families are still barred from getting a council house because of €20 drug fines from 2019. 'Somebody needs to inject a little passion and humanity into housing. Ticking boxes is well and good but there are implications to these actions, there are hundreds and hundreds of children who are being punished for the sins of their father. And we call ourselves a Christian country.' Having listened to Cllr Dwyer's impassioned speech, chief executive Eddie Taaffe appeared a little nonplussed. 'I'm not sure there was a question there,' he remarked. 'There most certainly was,' replied the councillor. In response, Mr Taaffe advised Cllr Dwyer that there was a time and place to discuss sensitive cases. 'I'm not going to get into a debate here, and neither are the officials, on individual housing cases, that's now what this meeting is about,' he said. 'You're perfectly entitled to make an appointment with the housing team and come into us where we can go through the details of these cases privately. The council chamber is not the place for this. We're not going to get into the intricacies of individual cases here.' 'I'm asking you to clarify WCC policy and answer why a family of three with profound medical needs would be offered a two-bedroom house they didn't apply for?' asked Cllr Dwyer., 'That is not policy, it's an individual case. We're happy to discuss it in private,' continued Mr Taaffe. Growing increasingly frustrated, Cllr Dwyer reminded the chief executive that he had been through the rigours of a local election to gain a seat in the council chamber. 'I don't appreciate being lectured and being told what questions I can and can't ask, you do not go for election, I do.' With Cllr Dwyer accusing Mr Taaffe of silencing his own staff, director of housing Carolyne Godkin interjected on her own behalf. 'I'm not familiar with the case but I'm happy to look at it,' she said of the case involving the family with medical needs. 'With convictions, they may not have been actually convicted until two years later, our policy is where someone is convicted of a crime, and a crime which does impact the community, that does impact whether they get a house or not. 'If somebody is convicted of a drug offence they can't apply for a house until at least five years after their conviction, and in my view that's the right policy. During Covid-19 there was a pause on convictions and we were taking it on a case-by-case basis for individuals who would have been substantially penalised, there was a delay in court cases so we had to take that into account. But this is not appropriate to discuss in the public forum, this is someone's life we're talking about.'
Irish Examiner
16-06-2025
- Politics
- Irish Examiner
Housing minister urged to remove restrictions on tenant in situ scheme
Members of the public have pleaded with housing minister James Browne to remove restrictions on the tenant in situ scheme, with families saying they are desperate, afraid, and will fall into homelessness. Correspondence released through the Freedom of Information Act shows that over 60 letters were sent to the housing minister since the start of the year about the tenant in situ scheme. The scheme itself allows local authorities to buy up rental properties if a landlord is selling up, but additional restrictions introduced in March told councils to focus on prioritising families, older people, and people with disabilities. Some local authorities have since been forced to put applications on hold, including Cork City, due to a lack of funding to the scheme. In one letter, a father writing to Mr Browne explains how he has been living in a rental property with his wife and 10-year-old daughter for the last decade. Plea to reconsider 'Our landlord informed us he's selling the property, but would be willing to sell it to the council as we fit the criteria needed for the tenant in situ scheme,' he said in the letter. However, with changes to the scheme, he says his family no longer qualify for tenant in situ. 'I understand the scheme isn't perfect, but to make it even more difficult, if not impossible, for most people to avail of it makes absolutely no sense to me — especially in the middle of a housing crisis,' he wrote. 'We've just worked hard and tried to give our daughter a good life and somewhere to call home. But with these changes, and the confusion around what funding is available for the tenant in situ scheme, we will be put in a situation where we will have to tell her the home she's known her whole life is no longer her home 'It's a conversation no father or mother wants to have with their children,' he added. The father said he could not 'for the life of me' understand why restrictions were introduced to the scheme. 'I would absolutely beg you to reconsider the proposed changes to this scheme, and also get the funding in place so it can continue to help families,' he wrote. Housing minister James Browne has received letters from desperate families who are afraid they will fall into homelessness: Brian Lawless/PA In response to the letters, the department urged individuals to engage with their local council to help them find suitable accommodation, saying it is a matter for 'individual local authorities to identify suitable acquisitions in line with local circumstances and their social housing allocations policy'. The restrictions placed earlier this year mean that councils are no longer permitted to buy any property where a tenant is facing eviction due to a landlord selling on a property. Previously, any individual in receipt of housing supports, such as HAP or the rental accommodation scheme (RAS), was able to ask a council to buy the property and turn it into a social housing unit. Read More Councils criticised for spending too much refurbishing rental properties
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Nashua Radiology, P.A. Contracts with Healthcare Administrative Partners for Comprehensive Revenue Cycle and Practice Management Services
MEDIA, Pa., June 12, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Healthcare Administrative Partners (HAP), a leading provider of outsourced billing, coding, and practice management solutions for radiology practices, today announces the addition of Nashua Radiology, P.A. in Nashua, NH to its roster of radiology revenue cycle and practice management clients. Nashua Radiology's board-certified physicians have been providing diagnostic and interventional services to the Greater Nashua Community for over 60 years. Under the terms of the agreement, HAP will perform all core revenue cycle services on behalf of Nashua Radiology, P.A., including billing, coding, carrier credentialing, business intelligence, and MIPS Measure Assurance Services in addition to comprehensive practice management services. Nashua Radiology sought an RCM company who could truly align with their practice, and they found the perfect fit with HAP. Jeffrey Chapdelaine, MD, President of Nashua Radiology, states that, "It was essential for us to find a billing company that would act as a genuine partner, not just as a vendor. HAP's team of radiology RCM specialists is committed to delivering the personalized support we need to thrive. We are confident that partnering with Healthcare Administrative Partners is the right step forward for our radiology practice." HAP's Chief Revenue Officer, Rebecca Farrington, has this to say of the new agreement: "At Healthcare Administrative Partners, our personal and tailored approach to revenue cycle management sets us apart in the industry. Our priority is always the success of our clients. We are excited to grow our partnership with Nashua Radiology, P.A. and to support them in addressing the challenges of radiology reimbursement with confidence and ease." HAP also serves Atlantic Radiology NH, Radiology Associates of Keene, and Breast Center of New England in the state of New Hampshire. About Healthcare Administrative Partners Healthcare Administrative Partners empowers hospital-employed and privately-owned radiology groups to maximize revenue and minimize compliance risks despite the challenges of a complex, changing healthcare economy. We go beyond billing services, delivering the clinical analytics, practice management, and specialized coding expertise needed to fully optimize your revenue cycle. Since 1995, radiologists have turned to us as a trusted educator and true business partner. For more information, visit View source version on Contacts Kelly MeaDirector of MarketingHealthcare Administrative Partnerskmea@ Telephone: 610-892-8889
