Concern over lack of properties to rent under HAP scheme
A total of 43 properties within the discretionary rate of the Housing Assistance Payment were available to rent in June this year, according to the latest quarterly Simon Communities’ Locked out of the Market report.
It is an increase of five properties – or 13% – since March 2024.
In 16 areas surveyed by the charity over three dates in June, a total of 1,178 properties were available to rent at any price within the HAP rate, which was a rise of 26% from the 934 properties available in June last year.
In ten of the 16 areas there were no properties available to rent in any household category within standard or discretionary HAP limits.
These were Athlone, Cork city centre, Cork city suburbs, Galway city suburbs, Galway city cCentre, Co Leitrim, Limerick city centre, Sligo town, Portlaoise and Waterford city centre.
As seen in many previous Locked Out of the Market reports, the supply of properties within HAP limits were predominantly in Dublin with 40 (93%) of the total 43 HAP properties in the capital.
In Dublin, the discretionary rate allows up to an additional 50% on the standard rate; this is limited to 35% elsewhere in the country.
Just three properties were available within standard HAP limits across the 16 areas. Two of these properties were in Dublin city north and the other property was in Dundalk, Co Louth.
Portlaoise had the lowest number of properties available to rent with just four properties available across the three days.
Although the total number of properties available to rent increased since the first quarter of this year, the Simon Communities has pointed out that five of the 16 study areas saw a reduction in the number of properties available to rent.
These included Cork city suburbs (three properties), Dublin city south (36 properties), Galway city south (five properties), Portlaoise (two properties) and Kildare (41 properties).
Turning to properties available to single people or couple households through a standard HAP rate, two were available in Dublin, both of which were in Dublin city north.
Fourteen properties were available through discretionary HAP rates. Five properties were in Dublin City North, eight properties were in Dublin city south and one property was in Kildare.
There were no properties available to couples or one parent households with one child through a standard HAP rate.
There were 19 properties available to this cohort through discretionary HAP rates. Nine properties were in Dublin city south, eight properties were in Dublin city north, the remaining two properties were in Dublin city centre and Dundalk.
For couples or a parent with two children, there was one property available through a standard HAP rate and 27 properties available through discretionary HAP rates.
Nineteen of the discretionary HAP properties overlapped with properties available to families with one child.
The eight remaining properties were in Dublin city north (two properties), Dublin city south (four properties), Dublin city centre (one property) and Limerick city suburbs (one property).
Simon Communities’ Executive Director Wayne Stanley described the findings as “concerning”, particularly in light of the growth in homelessness.
“We are seeing a lack of properties across various counties but as in previous reports it is notably evident outside of Dublin.
“While the majority of those in homeless emergency accommodation are in the Dublin region, the rate of growth in many of the other regions is increasing,” he said.
Mr Stanley told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland that the shortage of houses available under the payment is, in part, because of the lack of affordability in the private rental market.
“It’s also because the Housing Assistance Payment hasn’t been reviewed. The basic rates of it haven’t been reviewed since 2016, and that needs to happen straight away.
“In truth, the Government can’t continue to chase rents. So, what we do need to see is investment in more social affordable housing and the implementation of the Housing Commission report on that would be really effective when we’d want to see that happen.”
Mr Stanley added: “I think the next six months are going to be really, really important for us. We have a budget coming up, which is going to put in the infrastructure and the financial clout that the next government will have in 2025 to deliver more housing.
“The plan that was developed by the Housing Commission … is quite radical but really effective and we really want to see that implemented”.
Article Source – Concern over lack of properties to rent under HAP scheme – RTE
