A total of 43 rental properties across 16 parts of Ireland were available to rent to people dependent on the housing assistance payment (Hap) in June, representing just 4 per cent of all rental listings, according to a new report published on Thursday.
The Simon Communities of Ireland’s quarterly Locked Out of the Market report found that of the 43 rental properties identified for dependants of Hap, just three of those properties were located outside of Dublin.
The report found that 1,178 properties were available to rent at any price across surveyed areas, a year-on-year increase of 26 per cent. The percentage of rental properties on the market that were available through Hap remains roughly unchanged from this time last year. In 2022, 8 per cent of properties were available through Hap, while in 2021, the figure was 28 per cent.
The report is based on properties that were available to rent on Daft.ie on June 17th, 18th, and 19th in Cork city centre, Cork city suburbs, Dublin city centre, Dublin city north, Dublin city south, Galway city centre, Galway city suburbs, Limerick city centre, Limerick city suburbs, Portlaoise, parts of Co Kildare, Athlone, Sligo town, Dundalk, Co Leitrim, and Waterford city centre.
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In 10 of these areas, there were no properties available for rent for those dependent on Hap, including Athlone, Cork city centre, Cork city suburbs, Galway city suburbs, Galway city centre, Co Leitrim, Limerick city centre, Sligo town, Portlaoise and Waterford city centre. In March 2023, eight of these areas also had no properties available to rent through Hap.
To qualify for Hap a household must qualify for social housing. To qualify for social housing and Hap, households must have incomes below specific limits.
Limits are set by individual councils as to the maximum monthly rent payable under Hap. For a couple with two children renting within Dublin City Council’s jurisdiction, the maximum is €1,250 per month, while in Co Leitrim, the limit is €475. The limits set by the respective local authorities for a couple without children renting a property is €900 in Dublin city and €370 in Leitrim.
Councils can also grant a discretionary rate of Hap to some dependants, up to 35 per cent extra on top of the standard rate, or up to 50 per cent in Dublin city.
Local authorities make Hap payments directly to private landlords, while dependant households make a weekly Hap rent contribution to their council.
Of the 43 properties available under Hap, just three were available at the standard Hap rate across surveyed areas.
There were no properties available for couple/one-parent with a child households within the standard rate of Hap, and just one property available for couple/one-parent households with two children within the same rate. Two properties were available to single people/couples at the standard Hap limit.
The report noted that the prospect of finding a rental property within Hap limits “remains extremely difficult, especially outside of Dublin where supply is even more limited, and Hap limits are set much lower”.
Following the publication of the report, Wayne Stanley, executive director of Simon Communities of Ireland, called for an “investment in solutions” in advance of Budget 2025.
“Those solutions should include increased investment in social and affordable housing, laying the groundwork for the implementation of the housing commission recommendations,” said Mr Stanley.
“We also need to see increased investment in prevention and more supports to those in homelessness, to ensure that the physical and mental impact of homelessness are addressed.”
Mr Stanley said that the latest findings of the report were worrying, given the growth in homelessness in recent months.
In April, the number of people living in emergency accommodation in the State surpassed 14,000 for the first time. The latest figures from the Department of Housing, released for June, reported that 14,303 people — including a record 4,404 children — were living in emergency accommodation.
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