Rental homes available under HAP scheme fall to lowest ever level in September

Just 35 properties were available to rent by people reliant on the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme in September, according to a report from the Simon Communities of Ireland.

This represents the lowest number ever recorded in the “Locked Out of the Market” quarterly reports by the Simon Communities.

HAP is a form of social housing support provided by all local authorities. Under HAP, local authorities can provide housing assistance to households with a long-term housing need to help with rent costs. More than 60,000 tenancies were subsidised through HAP in 2021, according to the Central Statistics Office (CSO).

For the first time, the report found no properties available to rent within a standard HAP rate.

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Across all of the areas surveyed, there were only 392 unique properties available to rent at any price within its 16 study areas, over three dates surveyed.

This represented a decrease of 40 per cent from the 657 properties available to rent in June 2022 and a 61.5 per cent drop from the 1,017 properties available one year ago, in September 2021.

The 35 properties available under a discretionary limit in at least one of the four categories is two less than the 37 HAP properties available in the June 2022 study and 81.7 per cent less than the 192 which were available one year previously, in September 2021.

The 35 properties within HAP limits were predominantly available in Dublin (23) while outside of Dublin, nine of the 16 study areas had no properties available to rent in any household category within standard or discretionary HAP limits.

These were Athlone, Galway City Centre, Galway City Suburbs, Co Leitrim, Limerick City Suburbs, Limerick City Centre, Sligo Town, Portlaoise and Waterford.

Wayne Stanley, head of policy at the Simon Communities of Ireland, said a moratorium on evictions was “imperative” but was “not itself an answer to the crisis… we need action that will increase the stock of affordable homes.”

The Simon Communities called for Government action on the thousands of vacant homes across the country.

“With increased funding and targeted action, we believe it is possible to bring in substantial numbers of vacant homes through a reformed repair and lease scheme over the next 12 months. This could help to reduce our reliance on the private rental system and keep vulnerable households out of homelessness,” Mr Stanley said.