Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 27 September 2018
36. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government the amount of funding paid to landlords through the housing assistance payment in the past year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39095/18]
View answerThe Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) is a flexible and immediate housing support that is now available to all eligible households throughout the State. HAP plays a vital role in housing eligible families and individuals. At end Q2 2018, there were more than 37,700 households having their housing needs met via HAP and over 21,000 landlords and agents in receipt of HAP payments.
In respect of the provision of HAP funding, Limerick City and County Council provides a highly effective HAP transactional-shared service on behalf of all local authorities. This HAP Shared Services Centre (SSC) manages all HAP related rental transactions for the tenant, local authority and landlord. Accordingly, my Department does not recoup individual local authorities in respect of HAP rental payments in their administrative areas but rather recoups all landlord costs via the HAP SSC.
The amount of funding which has been paid to landlords for HAP tenancies for the past 12 months (1 September 2017 to 31 August 2018) is €295 million. The HAP scheme is funded through a combination of Exchequer monies and tenant differential rents collected in respect of HAP tenancies. It is important to note that the landlord payment combines the tenant contribution (differential rent paid) and the exchequer contribution.
Budget 2018 increased the Exchequer funding for the HAP scheme by €149m to €301 million. This will allow for the continued support of existing HAP households and also enable the additional 17,000 households targeted under Rebuilding Ireland to be supported by HAP in 2018.
