Written answers
Tuesday, 28 November 2023
Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government
Housing Schemes
Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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345. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government whether he intends increasing the HAP rent limits as due to the continuous increases in rents generally as many tenants are finding it impossible to find accommodation on the market at present; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52530/23]
Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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The Programme for Government commits to ensuring that the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) levels are adequate to support vulnerable households, while the supply of social housing is increased.
Maximum rent limits for HAP were set for each housing authority area in 2016 in conjunction with the Department of Social Protection (DSP). In reviewing the rent limits, my Department worked closely with DSP and monitored data gathered from the Residential Tenancies Board and the HAP Shared Services Centre.
A key principle of the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) is that eligible households source their own accommodation in the private rented market. The accommodation sourced by tenants should be within the prescribed maximum HAP rent limits, which are based on household size and the rental market within the area concerned. Local authorities have a responsibility to ensure that tenancies are sustainable and are advised not to provide HAP support to tenancies where the household would not be in a position to meet the rental costs being sought.
Under Housing for All, my Department was tasked with undertaking an analytical exercise to examine whether an increase in the level of discretion available to local authorities under HAP was required.
Following this analysis, from 11 July 2022, each local authority has statutory discretion to agree to a HAP payment up to 35% above the prescribed maximum rent limit and for new tenancies to extend the couple’s rate to single persons households. Discretion can be increased up to 50% above the prescribed maximum rent limits for Homeless HAP tenancies in Dublin. The additional discretion available to homeless households recognises the difficulty this cohort of households face in sourcing and securing properties in a highly competitive rental market.
It should be noted that it is a matter for the local authority to determine whether the application of the flexibility is warranted on a case by case basis and also the level of additional discretion applied in each case.
My Department continues to keep the operation of the HAP scheme under review, including the adequacy of HAP rent limits.
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