Simon Communities report found no properties available within HAP limits in Limerick City Centre or the city suburbs during September
CURRENT Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) limits are failing to keep pace with the reality of Limerick’s rental market, according to Limerick TD Conor Sheehan.
The comments come after the latest Locked Out of the Market report from Simon Communities of Ireland found that there were no properties available within HAP limits in either Limerick City Centre or Limerick City suburbs during September. Both areas were among 11 study locations nationwide where no suitable properties were available to HAP recipients.
Deputy Sheehan, who serves as Labour’s Spokesperson on Housing, Local Government and Heritage, said he was “not surprised” by the findings, arguing that current HAP thresholds are “totally out of kilter” with the actual cost of renting in Limerick.
The last four Locked Out of the Market reports have shown that Limerick has zero houses available to rent within current HAP limits.
“There’s nothing really being done to address this issue because the Government still have not published the HAP review. Where is it?” said Deputy Sheehan.
The Limerick TD said, “we need to increase the HAP limits, we need to publish and enact the HAP review, but we also need to introduce a rent break.”
A rent break would result in an introduction of a cap on the level at which rent is increasing in line with inflation. Deputy Sheehan emphasised that the Government need to do more to follow up on their promises.
He emphasised that since the Minister for Housing enacted his new rent legislation last March, there has been “record rent increases, of which he has done nothing to mitigate for people who need HAP.”
“The Government are doing nothing about this; there is no HAP review, there is no Child and Family Homeless Action plan, and there is no Homeless Prevention Framework. People at the lower end of the scale when it comes to housing like students and struggling renters, they are not a priority for this government.”
According to the Locked Out of the Market report, there was a total of 12 properties over 16 study areas that were available to rent within the HAP limits.
The supply of properties within HAP limits was predominantly found in Dublin, with 7 of the 12 HAP properties found within three Dublin study areas.