Written answers
Tuesday, 9 April 2024
Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government
Housing Schemes
Violet-Anne Wynne (Clare, Independent)
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721. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will increase the homeless HAP for single parents who have received a notice to quit in the Mid-West region, as the current rate of homeless HAP for rural counties is not sufficient to meet rental costs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15501/24]
Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Fianna Fail)
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The Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme plays a vital role in housing eligible families and individuals. At the end of Q4 2023, there were more than 56,800 households actively in receipt of HAP support.
Under HAP, tenants source their own accommodation in the private rented market. However, additional supports are available under HAP for homeless households or households at risk of homelessness. While eligible households or individuals may source accommodation for themselves under the Homeless HAP scheme, a dedicated resource, the Place Finder Service, has been established nationwide to provide assistance.
The Place Finder service assists households in or at immediate risk of homelessness primarily by providing access to deposits and advance rental payments. These elements are the core financial supports and are available to prospective tenants in all local authority areas. The operation of local homeless services, including the Place Finder Service, is a matter for each local authority.
Since 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, recognising 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 discretion applied in each case.
My Department continues to keep the operation of the HAP scheme under review and closely monitors the level of discretion being used by local authorities, taking into account other sources of data, including Residential Tenancies Board rent data published on a quarterly basis.
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