Local Authorities to Set Social Housing Targets for Disabled People from 2027

Minister for Equality Norma Foley announced that local authorities will be required to set social-housing targets for disabled people from 2027. This acknowledges a long-standing failure, but families of adults with intellectual disabilities, many of whom are elderly parents in their 70s, 80s, and 90s, fear further delays.

Parents are concerned about who will care for their adult children with intellectual disabilities after they die. The Minister admitted that people with intellectual disabilities «have not been a priority» for appropriate housing. Placing adults with complex needs in standard social housing or isolated houses is not considered suitable by parents, who view it as another flawed policy.

Targets alone, like those announced, do not house people, and plans for delivery starting in 2027 lack urgency for families already on long waiting lists. The State's reliance on commercial providers for housing placements for people with complex needs is unsustainable, reflecting years of underinvestment in publicly-planned, community-based housing.

Any new disability housing plan must include binding delivery timelines, transparent reporting, ring-fenced funding, and accountability for local authorities. Without clear consequences for missed targets, these commitments risk becoming mere aspirations. Adults with intellectual disabilities need accessible, secure, and appropriate homes with necessary supports in their communities now, not just future promises. The true measure of this announcement will be the number of homes opened, not just targets published.