A recent survey published by the Simon Communities of Ireland reveals that only 4% of all available rental listings in June were open to individuals relying on the Housing Assistance Payment (Hap), amounting to 43 units across 16 Irish regions. Interestingly, out of these 43 units, merely three were found outside of Dublin.
The comprehensive report also notes that a total of 1,178 rental properties were for rent without any price cap across all surveyed regions, marking a 26% surge from the previous year. The share of Hap-accessible rental listings remains almost the same as last year. In the year 2021, 28% of the properties were accessible via Hap whereas the figure stood at 8% in 2022.
The report was established from insights garnered from property listings available on Daft.ie over the dates of June 17th through to 19th, spanning areas including central and suburban regions of Cork, Dublin, Galway, Limerick, along with Portlaoise, parts of Co Kildare, Athlone, Sligo town, Dundalk, Co Leitrim, and the heart of Waterford city.
In ten of these surveyed regions – including Cork city, Galway city, Co Leitrim, Limerick city centre, Athlone, Sligo town, Portlaoise and Waterford city centre – there were no available rental units for Hap dependents. Similarly, eight of these regions also had no Hap-accessible properties up for rent in March 2023.
To be eligible for Hap, households need to fulfil the requirements for social housing, which includes having an income below certain specified limits.
Under the Housing Assistance Payment scheme (Hap), individual municipal authorities prescribe maximum monthly rent allowances. Benefits for a family of four domiciled within the district governed by Dublin City Council cap at €1,250, whereas the threshold for Co Leitrim comes in at €475. In cases of couples with no children who would like to lease a property, allowances top at €900 for Dublin city and €370 in Leitrim. Some beneficiaries, contingent on local council judgement, can receive up to an additional 35% on the standard Hap rate, or even up to 50% in Dublin city.
Private property owners receive the Hap payments directly from local authorities, with recipient families expected to remit their regular Hap rent contributions to their respective council on a weekly basis. An inquiry found that of the 43 properties listed under Hap, a mere three were rented out with the basic rate across the areas inspected. None of the properties came under the Hap standard for couples or single parents with a child, and one was appropriate for couples or single-parent families with two children under the same rate. Only two properties catered to solo tenants or couples at the Hap basic rate.
The research underscored that sourcing rental homes within Hap bounds remains a significant challenge, particularly outside Dublin where drought of options is more acute and Hap rates discernibly lower.
This shocking revelation led to Mr Wayne Stanley, executive chief of Simon Communities of Ireland, requesting a more focused approach to resolving the issue. He has urged for increased funding in social and affordable housing prior to the Budget 2025 declaration. In his opinion, additional emphasis on prevention strategies and amplified assistance for homeless individuals could mitigate the toll homelessness inflicts on mental and physical health.
The data from the report has elicited concern, considering the recent surge in homelessness. It reached a shocking tipping point in April when the number of people relying on emergency housing exceeded 14,000 for the first time. As per the most recent statistics disseminated by the Housing Department in June, a record-breaking number of 14,303 people, which included a staggering 4,404 children, were reported to be living in emergency shelters. Listen to our Inside Politics podcast for a comprehensive discourse on politics and policy analysis.