Householders aged over 50 who are “stuck” in large properties want solutions allowing them to downsize, freeing up larger homes for families, according to a housing organisation representing older homeowners. Cohousing Communities Ireland is seeking cross-party support for national housing policies which will facilitate the construction of small-scale, community-led and “age-friendly” developments.The organisation argues there is a “major housing policy blind spot” that ignores the housing needs of many of the 1.76 million people aged over 50 by focusing almost exclusively on first-time buyers and social housing.There is also a misconception that older homeowners don’t want to downsize or “rightsize” to smaller properties, when many feel “stuck in larger homes” due to a lack of options.“They want to rightsize into smaller, energy-efficient homes in supportive communities, while remaining independent and active, but suitable options simply do not exist,” Cohousing Communities Ireland chairwoman and co-founder, Anne Connolly, said. “As a result, hundreds of thousands remain in under-occupied family homes, while younger families struggle to find suitable housing.”Anna Dolan (left) and Anne Connolly , founders of Cohousing Communities Ireland outside Dáil Eireann.Photo: Bryan O’Brien / The Irish Times A survey of more than 120 of the organisation’s members found almost two-thirds have two empty bedrooms, while more than one-third have three unoccupied bedrooms. More than 90 per cent said they would choose to move into a new home within a co-housing community if that option were available. “Our survey challenges one of the biggest misconceptions in the current housing debate: that older homeowners don’t want to move. It shows the exact opposite. They are ready to move, but only if they have somewhere suitable to move locally. The problem isn’t unwillingness; it’s the absence of choice,” Connolly said.“They don’t need supported housing or nursing homes. They want manageable, energy-efficient homes in communities where they know their neighbours, feel secure and can enjoy companionship while maintaining complete independence with their own front door.”On Tuesday, the organisation presented a policy to the Minister for Housing James Browne and Opposition party housing spokespeople outlining the measures needed to develop co-housing schemes.“Today is about calling for cross-party support for the Government to define co-housing legally and require local authorities to have targets for the amount of land that will be zoned as suitable for community-led housing for older adults,” Connolly said.The policy paper calls for the State to make sites available, either by selling them to community-led housing groups, or releasing them for use while retaining State ownership. It also seeks better access to bridging finance and supports similar to those offered to first-time buyers.“No downsizing support or shared-equity product exists for older movers,” Connolly said. “As homeowners, they are locked out of every scheme the State provides.”The policy paper also proposes a self-financing revolving fund for three “demonstrator projects” in Dublin, Cork and Westport in Mayo, “to unlock builder confidence and bring Ireland’s first co-housing communities from ambition to reality”.Under the organisation’s proposals, communities of 30-50 “self-contained” homes would be built, with a kitchen, dining and living space, one or two bedrooms and bathrooms, and private outdoor areas. There would also be a “communal hub” where people could socialise. Residents would be central to the design and governance of the community.