6th August 2026
The Simon Communities of Ireland’s (SCI) quarterly Locked Out of the Market report, shows that just 20 properties were available to rent within any of the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) Scheme limits in June.
The report found 1,303 properties were available to rent at any price within the 16 areas surveyed over the three dates surveyed in June. This is an increase of 233 properties (22%) since March 2026 and an increase of 978 properties (33%) since March 2025.
This is the second Locked Out of the Market report to be conducted under the new legislative framework (Residential Tenancies (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2026) which came into effect on March 1st.
HAP Properties
No properties were available to rent within HAP limits in nine of the 16 study areas.
These include Athlone, Cork City Suburbs, Galway City Suburbs, Galway City Centre, Co. Leitrim, Limerick City Suburbs, Limerick City Centre, Portlaoise, and Waterford City Centre.
Three of the 16 study areas saw a reduction in the number of HAP properties available since the March 2026 report. These include Cork City Centre (one property), Dundalk (one property), and Sligo Town (one property).
As seen in many previous Locked Out of the Market reports, the supply of properties within any HAP limits are predominantly in Dublin. 17 (85%) of the 20 HAP properties were found across the three Dublin study areas.
Only one of the 13 study areas outside of Dublin had properties available to rent within HAP limits – this area was Kildare (three properties). No properties were available to rent within HAP limits in 12 of the 16 study areas. These include Athlone, Cork City Centre, Cork City Suburbs, Dundalk, Galway City Suburbs, Galway City Centre, Co. Leitrim, Limerick City Suburbs, Limerick City Centre, Sligo, Portlaoise, and Waterford City Centre.
In Dublin, the discretionary rate allows up to an additional 50% on the standard rate; this is limited to 35% elsewhere in the country.
Ber Grogan, Executive Director at the Simon Communities of Ireland, said:
“The Simon Communities of Ireland has published the Locked Out of the Market Report for over ten years, and our message has remained the same – the HAP system needs reform.
It is almost one year since the Minister confirmed that a review of HAP was underway, yet we are still no clearer on its findings or recommendations. Will Budget 2027 finally deliver the long-awaited increase to HAP limits?
The quarter one 2026 Homeless Progress Report showed that HAP was used less than in the same period last year, either as a homeless prevention measure or as an exit from homelessness.
HAP is not working. People are still locked out of the market. We see and hear this on the ground every single day, across the country. People are being discriminated against. There is one short-term solution that would make an immediate difference – increase the HAP limits.”
Mark, a Mid West Simon service user, said:
“It is separating me and my family from each other because she’s in one homeless service and I’m in another; we can’t get a house together being on social welfare.”
Lowest Number of Properties
Leitrim had the lowest number of properties available to rent, with just four properties available across the three days. When compared with the March 2026 Locked Out of the Market Report, seven of the 16 study areas saw a reduction in the number of properties available to rent. These include Athlone (nine properties), Cork City Suburbs (three properties), Dublin City North (17 properties), Co. Leitrim (three properties), Limerick City Suburbs (one property), Limerick City Centre (one property), and Waterford City Centre (four properties).
Eight of the 16 study areas saw an increase in the number of properties available to rent. These included Cork City Centre (21 properties), Dublin City South (117 properties), Dublin City Centre (37 properties), Dundalk (eight properties), Galway City Suburbs (17 properties), Galway City Centre (43 properties), Kildare (21 properties), and Portlaoise (seven properties). There was no change in the number of properties available in Sligo town.
Studio Apartments
For the purpose of this report, studio apartments are not included in the overall figure for HAP properties. However, we note there were 27 studio apartments available within HAP limits during the study period. Just one of these properties was available within standard HAP limits. 23 of these studio apartments were located in Dublin, one in Galway City Suburbs, and three in Kildare.
Single Person / Couple
There were two properties available for single person/couple households within standard HAP limits, located in Dublin City North (one property) and Kildare (one property).
There were ten properties suitable for single person/couple households within discretionary HAP limits, located in Dublin City North (four properties), Dublin City South (two properties), and Dublin City Centre (three properties).
Couples/Parent with One Child
There were no properties available to couple/one parent households with one child through a standard HAP rate. There were six properties available through discretionary HAP rates. These were located in Dublin City North (three properties), Dublin City South (two properties), and Kildare (one property).
Couple / Parent with Two Children
There were no properties available to couple/one parent households with two children through a standard HAP rate. There were two unique properties available through discretionary HAP rates, and an additional six that overlapped with properties available to families with one child. The two unique properties were in Dublin City North (one property) and Dublin City South (one property).
ENDS
For media enquiries contact:
Aileen Gaskin – 086 166 2160 / communications@simoncommunity.com
