Older people increasingly at risk of homelessness as policy gaps exposed
New Simon Communities report warns Ireland has a narrow window to prevent a deeper crisis among ageing renters
19 January 2026 | 📧 editor@ipropertyradio.com
A new report from the Simon Communities of Ireland, published today in partnership with Galway Simon Community, has highlighted a growing but still preventable crisis of older adults experiencing homelessness in Ireland. The report was launched at an event in Galway and examines the structural and personal factors pushing more people into housing insecurity later in life.
The research points to significant gaps in housing, income and ageing policy, warning that long-held assumptions that older people are predominantly homeowners are no longer reflective of reality. Increasing reliance on the private rental sector, rising rents, insufficient pension incomes and a lack of age-friendly housing options are all contributing to greater vulnerability among older adults.
The report follows an event held during Simon Week in September 2025, themed “retiring into homelessness”, which brought together policymakers, service providers, researchers and people with lived experience to examine homelessness in later life in an Irish and international context.
According to the findings, homelessness in older age is driven by a combination of structural pressures and life-course experiences. These include low lifetime earnings, illness or disability, relationship breakdown, time spent in institutional care, and bereavement. When homelessness occurs later in life, the report finds it has particularly severe consequences for physical health, mental wellbeing, social connection and emotional security, framing the issue as both a housing and public health concern.
The report sets out six core policy recommendations. These include the need for integrated national leadership on older person homelessness, stronger use and enforcement of existing legislation to prevent housing loss, and increased resourcing for homeless services to meet the more complex needs of older people. It also calls for a dedicated policy response to age-friendly housing shortages, a national research programme on older person housing insecurity, and the meaningful involvement of older people with lived experience in policy and service design.
The launch was attended by the Minister of State for Older People and Housing, Kieran O’Donnell TD, and the Mayor of Galway City, Cllr Mike Cubbard, alongside representatives from politics, academia, community organisations and people with lived experience of homelessness.
Speaking at the launch, President of Ireland, Catherine Connolly, said the report “shines a much-needed spotlight on the growing number of older people experiencing homelessness in Ireland”, adding that “particular attention should be given to the recommendations and actions”.
Ber Grogan, Executive Director of the Simon Communities of Ireland, said Ireland’s ageing population makes early intervention essential. She warned that failure to invest in appropriate supports now would lead to “far greater social and financial costs in the years ahead”, noting that other countries, including the United States, have seen older-age homelessness become deeply entrenched.
Dr Carol Baumann, CEO of Galway Simon Community, said that while the situation is deteriorating, the current numbers remain low enough for decisive action to make a difference. She said strategic action focused on prevention, mitigation and clear exit pathways could significantly improve individual wellbeing and support national objectives around healthy ageing and community building.
The report concludes that while Ireland’s wider housing crisis remains severe, older-age homelessness is not yet inevitable. With stronger political leadership, coordinated policy action and evidence-based responses, it argues that Ireland can still prevent a far more serious crisis from emerging.
