National Housing Strategy for People with a Disability 2011 - 2016

5.38 Ireland has one of the highest home ownership rates in the EU 27 with 77% ofhousing being owner occupied 28 . In terms of the private rented sector, 6% of Irish peoplewith a disability were accommodated in this sector in 2006 with the corresponding figure ingeneral population being 9% 29 .Research Findings5.39 Findings from the TrinityHaus research indicate that people with disabilities, incommon with a substantial proportion of the general population, do not appear to viewprivate rented accommodation as a long term housing solution 30 . Security of tenure is animportant issue for people with disabilities who wish to enter the private rental sector. TheResidential Tenancies Act 2004 has helped to make the private rented sector a more secureand attractive housing option by providing a modern and comprehensive legislative code.This sets out clearly the respective rights and obligations of landlords and tenants, includingsignificantly improved security of tenure and an appropriate level of regulation, particularlythrough the role of the PRTB, which is responsible for tenancy registration and theresolution of disputes between landlord and tenant.5.40 Chart 5.a below shows the housing paths taken by people with disabilities duringtheir lifetime as identified by stakeholders interviewed for the research.Chart 5.a:Housing Paths of people with disabilitiesLiving at Home / in HospitalSupported HousingPrivate RentedAccommodationSocial Housing27European Housing Review 2007 (Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors); Social Housing in Europe, (Whiteheadand Scanlon, 2007); – international comparisons are, however, generally subject to an element of caution withregard to possible variations in classification, e.g. in this case, possibly, as regards what accommodation isclassified as private rental as distinct from social rental, e.g. ‘voluntary sector’])28Census 2006 (This figure includes those who have purchased from their Local Authority).29Census 2006 (numbers of people by nature of occupancy).30It should be noted, however, that this research may not take full account of any shift in tenure preferencesarising as a result of the collapse in the housing market, i.e. home ownership may not now be as secure aproposition, thus resulting in changed attitudes to the private rental sector.59