What?

This National Training Programme includes new and existing material relating to the area of Age Friendly Housing. Drawing on universal design principles and referring to Part M requirements it will cover evidence and statistics on research on age friendly housing, models of excellence (existing and in development) and technical application.

Among the material referred to will be the Universal Design Guidelines for Homes in Ireland (Centre for Excellence in Universal Design), recent policy developments in housing provision, a multitude of useful resources to support practical applicational and delivery of age friendly housing. The material will also draw on current thinking and refers to the common principles between provision for older people and people with disabilities. There will be a focus on the relationships between Local Authorities, Approved Housing Bodies and the private sector and how this might be further leveraged.

The second section of the training will focus on the public realm. Age friendly practices around public seating, toilets, parking, pedestrian crossings, parks and green areas, location of bins and security are covered. It will discuss the findings of walkability surveys and research across Ireland and summarise feedback from thousands of older people about the positive and not so positive elements of their everyday environment.

This training is currently very relevant given the vision of an Age Friendly Ireland in the Programme for Government 2020 and more significantly the signalled investment in Housing for All. 

In Summary the training provides information on;

• National Policy| Housing Options for our Ageing Population  (2019), Programme for Government (2020), National Development Plan (2018), Housing for All (2021).

• Key outcomes from the HaPAI Research, the Rightsizing Research (2020), consultation outcomes and findings from the original SLIOTAR research programme and recent research highlighting key recommendations for future builds in terms of physical, social, technological and cost considerations

• Technical guidance, including universal design and reference to the recent CEUD material on universal design, technical guidelines and Part M regulations

• Actions implemented including practical resources such as, age friendly homes website, roles of the AFHTA, suite of publications, including toolkits, checklists and guides.

• Case studies from across the country showcasing age friendly developments highlighting the utilisation of appropriate funding streams, practical implementation of universal design, models that support rightsizing and a blend of social and private options for older people.

• Overview of digital supports that enable older people to age in place

• A discussion around opportunities arising from the Programme for Government which has placed considerable emphasis on older persons housing and town centre rejuvenation.

• A module of Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED)  principles delivered by our partners An Garda Siochana.