15th April 2024
March 2024 Locked Out of the Market Report Finds 38 HAP Properties Available Across 16 Areas
No properties available within HAP limits in 10 of the 16 areas surveyed
The Simon Communities of Ireland’s quarterly Locked Out of the Market report, from March 2024, shows 38 properties were available to rent within the discretionary rate of the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) Scheme. This is an increase of 5 properties (15%) since December 2023.
The report found 1,180 properties were available to rent at any price within the 16 areas surveyed over the three dates surveyed (March 2024). This is a 76% (508 properties) increase from the 672 properties available in the March 2023 Locked Out report.
HAP Properties
In 10 of the 16 areas, there were no HAP properties available to rent through HAP in any household category within standard or discretionary HAP limits. These areas include Athlone, Cork City Centre, Galway City Suburbs, Galway City Centre, Co. Leitrim, Limerick City Suburbs, 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 are predominantly in Dublin; 32 (84%) of the total 38 HAP properties were found in Dublin. In Dublin, the discretionary rate allows up to an additional 50% on the standard rate; this is limited to 35% elsewhere in the country. Three areas outside of Dublin had properties available within discretionary HAP limits. These include Cork City Suburbs (one property), Dundalk (three properties) and Kildare (two properties).
Lowest Number of Properties
Sligo had the lowest number of properties available to rent with just two properties available across the three days. Although the total number of properties available to rent increased since the March Locked Out report, eight of the 16 study areas saw a reduction in the number of properties available to rent. These areas include Cork City Centre, Cork City Suburbs, Dublin City Centre, Dundalk, Galway City Suburbs, Galway City Centre, Limerick City Centre and Sligo Town. The areas with the largest increases in the number of available properties were in Kildare, Dublin City South and Dublin City North.
Wayne Stanley, Executive Director at the Simon Communities of Ireland, said:
“The latest Locked Out of the Market Report highlights what the broader figures and the experience of Simon frontline workers across the country are telling us. We need to see more progress on delivery of affordable housing in Ireland.
The recognition of the need for greater ambition on housing by Taoiseach Simon Harris is very welcome but we now need his government to outline how this new ambition will be delivered. A critical element of any successful plan, that will help to address homelessness, should include the delivery of at least 15,000 social housing homes for rent each year.
In the short term, we need to see HAP rates increased, but this is not a long-term sustainable solution. The answer is more social and affordable housing.”
Single People
Just three properties were available within standard HAP rates. These properties were located in Dublin City North, Dublin City South and Kildare. These properties were suitable for both a couple/single person. 13 properties were available for single persons/couples through discretionary HAP rates. These properties were located in Cork City Suburbs, Dublin City North, Dublin City South and Kildare.
Couples/Parent with One Child
For couples or parents with one child, there were no properties were available within standard HAP limits, and 15 properties were available within discretionary HAP limits. Four properties were located in Dublin City North, eight properties were located in Dublin City South, one property was located in Dublin City Centre, and two properties were located in Dundalk.
Couple / Parent with Two Children
There were no properties available to couple or one parent households with two children through a standard HAP rate. 22 properties were available within discretionary HAP limits, 15 of which overlap with properties available to families with one child. These were available in Dublin City North, Dublin City South, Dublin City Centre and Dundalk.
Studio Apartments
While not included in the main snapshot figures, for the first time in the Locked Out of the Market series of reports, studio apartments were enumerated. There are longstanding concerns about the viability of studio apartments as a sustainable option for people exiting homelessness, however, it may be suitable for single person households where there are limited housing options. There were 28 studio apartments available within HAP limits during the study period. 27 of these were located in Dublin, and one was located in Kildare.
ENDS
For media enquiries contact:
Aileen Gaskin
P: 087 7724 717
E: communications@simoncommunity.com
Editor’s Notes:
About Locked Out of the Market:
The Locked Out of the Market report examines the experience of people on a low income and dependent on Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) to access housing in the private rental market. The report looked at the availability of homes to rent over a three-day period in March 2024. The report considers the availability of properties within both the standard and discretionary HAP limits in 16 areas around the country for four household categories: single person, couple, couple/one parent and one child and couple/one parent and two children.
About Simon Communities
The Simon Communities support over 24,000 men, women, and children. We have 50 years of experience providing homeless, housing and treatment services to people facing the trauma and stress of homelessness. We are a network of independent Communities based in Cork, Dublin, Dundalk, Galway, the Midlands, the Mid West, the Northwest and the South East, responding to local needs and supported by a National Office in the areas of policy, research, and communications. We share common values and ethos in tackling homelessness and, informed by our grassroots services, we campaign for more effective policies and legislation regionally, nationally and at European level. Whatever the issue, Simon’s door is always open for as long as we are needed. For more information, please visit www.simon.ie.
Services include:
- Homelessness prevention, tenancy sustainment and resettlement.
- Street outreach, emergency accommodation and harm reduction.
- Housing with support and Housing First services.
- Homeless specific health and wellbeing services (counselling; addiction treatment and recovery; and mental health supports).
- Personal development, education, training, and employment services.
- Foodbanks, drop-in centers and soup runs.
