Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. I acknowledge his hard work and dedication on it. We have been in contact on HAP and homelessness prevention measures on a number of occasions. The Deputy has been working with my staff over recent months to bring various concerns to my attention. He has explained his concerns about the terms and consistency of application of homeless HAP in his area. I have heard what he has said. HAP is operating as a flexible and immediate housing support and is available throughout the State. It is playing a vital role in families and individuals that are eligible for housing supports. More than 40,000 households are having their housing needs met via HAP. Over 21,000 landlords and agents are in receipt of payments under the HAP scheme.

As the Deputy knows, the rent charged for HAP accommodation must be within the limits set down for the household type in each local authority area. HAP tenants pay a weekly rent contribution to the local authority, based on their income and ability to pay. The HAP rent limits were increased significantly in July 2016. They were increased by up to 60% in some areas. The Government has given each local authority the flexibility to agree to make a payment under the HAP scheme of up to 20% above the maximum rent limit if that is necessary because of local rental market conditions.

The increased rent limits, together with the additional discretion available to local authorities to exceed the maximum rent limit where necessary, are allowing HAP households to find suitable accommodation and willing landlords. At the end of the second quarter of 2018, excluding households accommodated under the homeless HAP arrangements operated by the Dublin Region Homeless Executive, 21.3% of households nationally were benefitting from the additional discretion. In those cases, the average rate of discretionary payment was 15.7% above the relevant rent limits. In a further reply, I can give more detail on this to the Deputy.

In addition to the flexible and immediate housing supports set out, a significant dimension to homeless HAP was the establishment of the place finder service, to which the Deputy referred. Homeless HAP is a targeted support for homeless households who may find it difficult to secure HAP tenancies and, under the place finder service, the local authorities can appoint new dedicated staff to assist individuals in emergency accommodation to find appropriate long-term housing solutions. The place finder service has been in operation in the Dublin region since 2015 and the option to establish the service was made available to all local authorities from January 2018. It was take up in Kildare earlier this year. It is a matter for each local authority to determine the appropriate deployment of the place finder service based on local needs, including the point at which a household will be directed to the service. I understand that many local authorities are focusing on those households who are already in emergency accommodation, assisting them to transition into HAP tenancies. The place finder service recognises that, for a certain number of people, particularly those already in emergency accommodation, sourcing property and securing a tenancy, including the financial constraints around deposits and advance rent, might be very challenging.

The provisions of the homeless HAP scheme provide local authorities with the discretion to assist homeless households by providing a deposit to secure property and paying up to two months' advance rent. This discretion was provided as an exceptional measure for exceptionally challenging circumstances and, as such, must be applied only where necessary. To broaden the provisions of advance rent and deposits is contradictory to the principles of the HAP scheme, and could undermine the careful checks and balances that are in the system to ensure the best use of public funds. That said, the Deputy has been engaging with my Department on this matter. I hope he will be able to have further engagement in which he can bring to light more specific issues that can be examined given what he has raised in the Dáil today.

The homeless HAP scheme has been successfully utilised by the Dublin Regional Homeless Executive across the four Dublin local authority areas since February 2015, supporting more than 3,600 households to date. More than 1,600 new homeless HAP tenancies have been set up so far this year. That goes for people at risk of homelessness or coming out of emergency accommodation. Therefore, it is an important support for people in this crisis.

We monitor HAP data on an ongoing basis. I have a report to hand for the Deputy that he will be interested to see. We also monitor other key information relating to the private rental market. I am satisfied that the current HAP rent limits and the flexibility to exceed them in certain circumstances provide local authorities with the capacity necessary to assist households in securing rented accommodation that meets their needs. However, I am grateful to the Deputy for raising his concerns. I hope he will engage further with me and the Department over the coming days.

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