Galway Councillor calls for proactive planning on age-friendly housing

'Galway's population is ageing rapidly'

BALLINASLOE Municipal District Cathaoirleach Evelyn Parsons has called on Galway County Council to be more proactive in their planning of age-friendly housing.

At the most recent plenary meeting she brought forward a motion calling for the council to recognise the need to plan proactively for a broad range of housing options for older people.

Councillor Parsons also requested the Chief Executive bring forward a report on the potential role of retirement villages, as well as downsizing and rightsizing opportunities, in meeting the current and future housing needs of older people in the county.

“Galway’s population is ageing rapidly, with the number of people aged 65 and over increasing by 23 per cent since 2016 to almost 43,000,” stated Cllr Parsons.

“At the same time, the Age Friendly Strategy highlights that this trend is not evenly spread, with rural and western areas experiencing much older population profiles than urban centres.”

Cllr Parsons believes the latest data shows an urgent need for the council to create a plan for housing that allows older people to remain independent while living in their own communities. She said the council must move now to identify suitable sites.

“There are examples in every municipal district of lands that could support age-friendly and supported living models,” she added.

“We need to identify these opportunity sites now and ensure they are integrated with health services, transport and community infrastructure.

“People are increasingly contacting me about downsizing and the lack of appropriate options locally. If we get this right, we can both support older people to live well in their communities and free up larger homes for families."