New figures released by the Simon Communities of Ireland highlight the serious challenges faced by those who are reliant on the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP), according to Social Democrats TD Rory Hearne.
Deputy Hearne, who represents Dublin North-West, said:
“In its latest quarterly ‘Locked Out of the Market’ report, from December 2024, the homeless charity found just 46 properties available to rent within the discretionary rate of HAP.
“Of these, 37 of the properties were in Dublin, which shows the dire situation faced by HAP recipients around the country.
“One of the starkest findings was that eight of the 16 areas had no properties available to rent in any household category within standard or discretionary HAP limits. This included cities such as Cork, Limerick and Galway.
“The figures show that the Government’s dependency on private rental accommodation is failing vulnerable families and individuals who are reliant on HAP. This is against the backdrop of more than 15,000 people living in emergency homeless accommodation and over 500,000 adults still sleeping in their childhood bedrooms.
“While the HAP scheme is an essential lifeline for tens of thousands of people, it is completely unrealistic to expect payment rates to keep pace with soaring market rents.
“Our housing crisis will not be solved by sticking plaster solutions that depend on the availability of properties owned by private landlords. Only the ramped-up delivery of social and genuinely affordable homes will make a difference to the lives of those struggling to put a roof over their heads.”
January 28, 2025