25th October 2023
September Locked Out of the Market Report Finds Lowest Number of HAP Properties Ever Seen in the Locked Out Series
Just 27 HAP Properties Available Across 16 Areas
The Simon Communities of Ireland’s quarterly Locked Out of the Market report, from September 2023, shows just 27 properties were available to rent within the discretionary rate of the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) Scheme. This is the lowest number of HAP properties recorded by the Locked Out of the Market series.
The report found 901 properties were available to rent at any price within the 16 areas over the three dates surveyed (September 2023). This is a 3.5% (33 properties) decrease from the 934 properties available in the June 2023 Locked Out report.
Half (8) of the 16 areas had no HAP properties available to rent in any household category within standard or discretionary limits. These were Cork City Centre, Cork City Suburbs, Galway City Suburbs, Co. Leitrim, Limerick City Suburbs, Limerick City Centre, Sligo Town and Portlaoise.
75% (673) of properties available to rent at any price were located within the three Dublin areas studied. Sligo had the lowest number of homes available to rent with just three properties available over the three days. Portlaoise had six properties available during the study period. Nine of the 16 study areas experienced a decrease in the availability of properties to rent. These were Athlone, Cork City Centre, Dublin City North, Dublin City Centre, Dundalk, Galway City Suburbs, Galway City Centre, Limerick City Centre and Limerick City Suburbs.
Wayne Stanley, Executive Director at the Simon Communities of Ireland, said:
“Our latest Locked Out of the Market report is further evidence for what the Simon Communities across Ireland are seeing on the front line of this crisis. It is getting harder and harder to find rental accommodation in Ireland. This is one of the main drivers of the growing level of homelessness in Ireland.
It demands a greater response from Government, including in the first instance, an increase in the HAP rates. This is not a long-term or even a medium-term solution, but it would relieve pressure on those most vulnerable to homelessness.
In the medium term, we need to see the Government working with local authorities to increase the allocation of public housing to those stuck in homelessness so that we see the number of exits increasing. The implementation of the Simon Homeless Prevention Bill to prevent homelessness in the first instance is long overdue.
We all know that the answer to homelessness is more secure affordable homes. The best way for Government to drive this change is to increase the targets for social housing to reflect the growing need and then ensure the funding and policy is in place to meet those targets.”
As seen in many recent Locked Out of the Market reports, the supply of properties within HAP limits are predominantly available in Dublin; 16 (59%) of the total 27 HAP properties were found in the three Dublin areas examined. Dublin has a discretionary HAP rate of 50% compared to 35% for the rest of the country.
Single person households received an increased HAP rate to match what was available to couples in June 2022. The report found three properties within standard HAP limits and an additional eight within discretionary limits for both single people and couples.
15 properties were available within the discretionary HAP rate for families with one child. These, plus one additional property were available for families with two children under a discretionary HAP rate.
ENDS
For further information contact Aileen Gaskin 087 7724 717 /communications@simoncommunity.com
