Only 12 homes to rent across 16 parts of the country fell within HAP limits in September, according to a new report from the Simon Communities of Ireland published on Tuesday, 3 November. The figure, down from 20 in June, includes properties within the higher discretionary rates and excludes studio apartments.
The charity’s quarterly Locked Out of the Market study checked rental listings on three dates in September. It found that 11 of the 16 areas surveyed had nothing at all available to people relying on the Housing Assistance Payment, the State support through which councils help eligible households pay private rents.
Where the homes were (and weren’t)
Seven of the 12 properties were in Dublin. Outside the capital, only Dundalk (three) and Kildare (two) had anything within HAP limits.
There was nothing available for HAP tenants in Athlone, Cork city centre or suburbs, Galway city centre or suburbs, Co Leitrim, Limerick city centre or suburbs, Sligo town, Portlaoise or Waterford city centre.
For families, the picture was bleaker still. Not a single property surveyed was available to a household with children at standard HAP rates. Just one home, in Dundalk, was available to a couple or lone parent with one child, and only then using the discretionary top-up.
A further 25 studios were within the limits but were left out of the headline count, most of them in Dublin.
More homes on the market overall
Ironically, overall supply has improved. A total of 1,361 homes were advertised at any price across the 16 areas, up 4% since June and 63% on September last year, RTÉ reported. The report is the third since new rental rules introduced six-year tenancy cycles from 1 March.
Discretionary HAP rates allow councils to pay up to 50% above the standard limit in Dublin and 35% elsewhere, but even with those top-ups, very few homes come in under the ceilings.
Calls to raise HAP limits
Ber Grogan, executive director of the Simon Communities of Ireland, said the charity had been disappointed that Budget 2027 did not lift the limits. She said rents had risen sharply over the past decade while the payment had barely moved, and described an increase as “an immediate, practical step” the Government could take, RTÉ reported.
A Simon service user named Dermot told TheJournal.ie he could not see himself ever moving into private rented accommodation, adding: “It’s never going to be enough.”
Labour housing spokesperson Conor Sheehan called on Housing Minister James Browne to publish the review of HAP limits and to increase supports, arguing that an approval for the payment offers little reassurance if it cannot actually secure a home.
What it means for renters
For tenants on HAP, the figures suggest that finding a home within the rules is close to impossible across most of the areas surveyed, and almost entirely out of reach for families. With no increase in Budget 2027, pressure on the Government to revisit HAP limits looks set to continue.
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Sources: RTÉ News, TheJournal.ie
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