Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 5 May 2021
67. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of households in receipt of a housing assistance payment support discretionary top-up in each of the years 2016 to 2020. [23026/21]
View answerThe Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) is a flexible and immediate housing support that is available to all eligible households throughout the State. At end Q4 2020 there were nearly 60,000 households in receipt of HAP and over 33,520 separate landlords and agents providing accommodation to households supported by the scheme.
Each local authority has statutory discretion to agree to a HAP payment up to a maximum of 20% above the prescribed maximum rent limit in circumstances where it is necessary, because of local rental market conditions, to secure appropriate accommodation for a household that requires it. It is a matter for the local authority to determine if the application of the flexibility is warranted on a case by case basis. Additional discretion of up to 50% above rent limits is available to assist in housing homeless households in the Dublin Region only.
The table below shows the number of households in receipt of HAP, over the period 2016 to 2020, who were also in receipt of some additional discretion available to local authorities.
|
Year |
No. Household in receipt of Discretion |
|
2016 |
2,418 |
|
2017 |
7,244 |
|
2018 |
14,930 |
|
2019 |
23,150 |
|
2020 |
31,079 |
