Nine local authority areas added to housing support scheme

Households with long-term housing needs in 28 local authority areas across the State can now apply for another form of social housing support under the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme.

The HAP scheme, which is part of the initiative Rebuilding Ireland: Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness launched in July, has been extended to a further nine local authority areas - Cavan, Kerry, Laois, Leitrim, Longford, Roscommon, Westmeath, Wexford and Wicklow.

Under the plan, the Government promised over 130,000 new homes would be provided over six years and also committed to supplying an additional 47,000 social housing units.

The introduction of HAP means local authorities can now provide housing assistance to more households with long-term housing needs, including long-term rent supplement recipients, as well as households who many not be eligible for rent supplement but who are struggling with the cost of rent.

More than 15,500 households are currently receiving HAP support with over a third of these households having transferred from the rent supplement scheme. More than 10,000 landlords are taking part in the scheme with approximately 300 households joining every week.

According to the Department of Housing, Planning. Community and Local Government, HAP not only allows recipients to remain in the scheme if they gain full-time employment but also “improves regulation of the rented accommodation” and “provides certainty for landlords as regards their rental income”.

State support

Minister for Housing Simon Coveney said the completion of the latest phase of the HAP scheme demonstrated the Government's commitment "in helping to ensure that everyone can access a home, either on their own, or with State support".

Mr Coveney acknowledged that “while the level of supply in the rental market is challenging, HAP continues to offer many families stable and supported social housing”.

The department says a full roll-out of the scheme will be completed by March 1st, 2017, with the introduction to the areas of Dublin City Council, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown and Fingal County Council.

The extension of the scheme follows Thursday’s announcement that a new emergency service providing 62 beds for homeless people will open in Dublin city in the coming weeks.

Depaul Ireland, a charity supporting people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness, says services will run from a hostel on Little Britain Street from 6.30pm every day.

The latest figures from the Dublin Region Homeless Executive show 142 people were found sleeping rough in the capital on the night of November 22nd, during the official winter rough sleeper count.

This number is an increase of 40 per cent since spring and more than 50 per cent since last winter.

The numbers also found 77 people sleeping on roll-out mats in the Merchants Quay night café, bringing the number of adults unable to access an emergency bed to 219.