Cllr. John Paul O’ Shea (Ind) this week welcomed the allocation of €3.9m to Cork County Council for the 2014 Housing Adaptation Grants Scheme from the Department of Environment, Community & Local Government. Cork County Council will contribute a further €1m from its own finances bringing a total of €4.9m available to the people of the county to assist people adapt their homes in 2014.
The Housing Adaptation Scheme assists older people, people with mobility problems and people with a disability to make the necessary adaptations to their homes so they can continue to live independently in their own community.
The Housing Adaptation Grants Scheme has three elements which are as follows:
- Housing Adaptation Grant for People with a Disability: Assists with the adaptation of the home of a person with a disability to accommodate their needs.
- Mobility Aids Housing Grant: Assists with adaptations to address mobility problems such as hand rails, access ramps, shower access, smoke alarms and stair lifts.
- Housing Aid for Older People: Provides improved conditions for the older person (Over 66 years) by means of structural repairs or improvements, rewiring, drylining, replacement of windows and doors and installation of central heating.
Cllr. O’ Shea said “while the criteria for eligibility for the scheme has been changed significantly by the government in recent weeks, I want to encourage older people of the area and people with disabilities to still apply for these grants and I along with the staff in the Housing Grants section of Cork County Council will do whatever we can to assist in ensuring their applications are dealt with as quickly as possible. Assisting older people, people with mobility problems and people with disabilities to continue to live in their own homes and communities has been one of my top priorities as a public representative. It is crucial that the most in need of this important scheme can avail of the appropriate adaptations”.
Funding of up to €30,000 is available for improvement works and extensions to facilitate a person with a disability under the Housing Adaptation Grant for People with a Disability. Mobility Aids Grants are available to fast track improvements worth up to €6,000 to address the person’s mobility problems and in the case of older people, a grant of up to €8,000 is available to assist householders to have necessary repairs or improvements carried out to their homes.
Cllr. O’ Shea added ”There has been a huge volume of activity under this grant scheme in recent years with an ever increasing demand for adaptations. As we now know the 2014 allocation, I will be urging Cork County Council to ensure they get the best value for money from this allocation ensuring as many older people, people with mobility problems and people with a disability get their necessary adaptations and can remain living independently in their own homes and communities”.
