Older Irish born emigrants living abroad

Aged 57 yrs +

Capable of Independent living

Living in rented accommodation abroad and unable to provide accommodation for themselves (from their own income/savings) on return to Ireland.

Note!

 In conjuction with above, to stand any realistic chance of securing social housing supports in Ireland in the future, applicants must also be approved on the relevant Council housing waiting list. Safe Home staff can assist with all that is involved in this process. 

If you fulfil the criteria outlined above, the first step in the process is to contact us for a housing application form and additonal information on the process.

Once we receive a completed application, we check if the applicant has an Irish Insurance Number, known as PPSN. A  PPSN is required in order for us to begin the next step in the process - applying to the relevant Council 

Council approval is necessary so that applicants can have a realistic chance of qualifying for housing supports in Ireland in the future. 

Safe Home Ireland does not manage or build any properties ourselves. When it comes to offers of accommodation, Councils here nominate approved applicants for Housing Association vacancies

The application process can  be stressful, it is not easy or quick but Safe Home staff are 'on hand' to assist every step of the way. 

Once we receive the completed paperwork from you, your application will be processed and you will be included on our waiting list. We contact you to confirm this and we will then seek additional information from you in order to begin the process of registering an application for you with the relevant Local Authority/Council here.

This is important as when Housing Associations have a vacancy, they generally must take prospective tenants from the local Council waiting list.

If you are nominated by the Council for a Housing Association vacancy, Safe Home will gather additional information on the property to send to you. Where possible, we will also compile a housing fact sheet to send to you. This fact sheet will include photographs and additional details on the scheme and the general area (Example: proximity to shops/services/transport links etc)

On receipt of the information sheet, an applicant will decide whether or not they wish to proceed with the application for housing in the particular scheme. 

Safe Home does not manage or build any properties of our own. We assist qualifying applicants to get approval on the relevant Council housing waiting list, to ensure that they can maximise their chances of being nominated for a Housing Association vacancy in the future. 

The Housing Association schemes  in question tend to be schemes developed specifically for older people. They are small one and two bedroom units. It is not 'family-type' housing

To get an overview of Housing Association schemes on a county by county basis, please see HERE

Most Housing Associations will require applicants to travel for interview. This benefits both the Housing Association and the prospective tenant. It is a very big step to take to move to a property and an area that you have not viewed for yourself.

Note! Where people live further afield than the UK, the Housing Association may agree to telephone/online  interviews

Yes – the schemes that we work with all come under social housing guidelines. The tenancies are long-term secure options. Rents are set at an affordable level, depending on each individual tenant’s circumstances.

There is no standard design for Housing Association schemes. Some properties will be apartments (most likely in cities), some will be houses and some (in rural areas in particular) will be small bungalows.

The housing options that Safe Home has access to is housing designed specifically for older people who can live independently or with minimum support. 

The properties are generally small one or two bedroom units. We do not have access to larger properties or ‘family type’ housing.

Some developments will simply offer a housing option for older people with no additional supports. 

Others may have varying degrees of support services available: E.G. On-site managers, access meals on wheels, communal laundry.

Details of Housing Association schemes on a county by county basis can be found via Irish Council for Social Housing website HERE

No – All of these issues are a matter for the Housing Association managing the scheme.

Safe Home housing applicants normally have to be registered on the relevant Council housing waiting list.

It is not possible to be registered on more than one Council list and applicants can only apply to an area where they have a genuine 'local connection'. In summary, a local connection means that you have been born and reared in area or spent significant time living or working there (5 years or more) or have close relatives living in the area (2 years or more).

While many of our housing applicants are prepared to be flexiable around the areas that they will consider relocating to, the system for social housing applicants is quite rigid. 

We cannot give any indication of how long the process may take. 

It is generally up to the relevant Council when it comes to making nominations for Housing Association vacancies. 

Councils take a number of factors into consideration when putting applicants forward for vacanies. These include, type and location of the property available,  appplicant's age, medical priority, current housing circumstances, and time on the huosing waiting list.  

All tenants, regardless of their income, must make a contribution from their own income of at least €30 per week towards their rent, for couples the minimum contribution is €40.

As a general rule, in order to get assistance with rent costs in Ireland, (both in relation to social housing and in the private sector), all applicants must first apply to and be approved on the Local Authority Housing list in the area that they move to. Other conditions also apply, such as renting within set ‘caps’ for the area, means testing and residency requirements.

For additional information on rent supports in the Irish system, please see HERE

Many Safe Home applicants have a much loved cat or dog and they could not even consider coming home without their beloved companion. 

Unfortunately, quite a number of the Housing Associations that we deal with operate a strict No Pets Policy. This is particularly the case in schemes of apartments and urban settings. 

Note: In terms of guidelines for bringing a pet into the country, please see the Government guidance HERE

The housing that Safe Home has access to specifically caters to older people who can live independently. 

The schemes, normally managed by Housing Associations, are set up with older people in mind. Housing Associations are reluctant to offer tenancies where the joint tenant may be quite a lot younger, as in doing so, the property is likely to be ‘out of circulation’ for some considerable time.

If after returning to a tenancy in Ireland, an applicant does require additional day to day supports, they can apply through the Health Service Executive (HSE) to have their needs assessed for a home care/home help package. Please see details HERE

No – Safe Home is not in a position to provide any financial assistance to help with travel or moving costs.

Qualifying Safe Home housing applicants are encouraged to apply to the Council because Councils here have the main 'say' when it comes to making nominations for Housing Association vacancies.

However, when it comes to Council housing, as a general rule, to be considered, applicants must be living in the catchment area of the relevant Local Authority so that a full assessment of their housing needs can be carried out by the Council.

 Occasionally, some Councils will make an exception to this and offer a property to a returning emigrant who is still living abroad. However, these cases are certainly exceptions to the rule.

Safe Home can certainly advise you on the application process. However, it is through the relevant Housing Association or  Local Authority (Not Safe Home) that any application for a housing transfer would have to be made.

Note! 

It can often be very difficult to get a transfer in social housing as you may be considered ‘adequately housed’.

However, issues such as health problems and other specific circumstances may be taken into consideration when assessing your situation.

 It certainly can be daunting but try not to panic!

A member of the Safe Home team will keep in touch with you to advise on what you need to do BEFORE you move and paperwork to bring home with you etc. 

A Safe Home Outreach Officer will also make arrangements to go to visit you in your new home to assist with the process of getting into ‘the system’ here.

No - The housing scheme facilitated by Safe Home Ireland is only applicable to the Republic of Ireland. 

The North of Ireland is governed by different laws and regulations. 

For anyone looking into returning/moving to the North of Ireland, the following resources may prove helpful; 

Moving back to Northern Ireland from abroad 

AGE NI Advice Service - returning after living abroad

Northern Ireland Housing Executive - Guide to applying for housing, from outside of Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland Federation of Housing Associations

NI Direct - guidance on finding housing support online