Peadar Tóibín
Question:376. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the number of households in receipt of private rent subsidies including HAP nationally and by county. [25709/21]
View answerTuesday, 18 May 2021
Questions (376)
Written answers
The Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) is a form of social housing support for people who have a long-term housing need. In order for a household to qualify for HAP, they must first be assessed as eligible for social housing support by their local authority. Any household assessed as eligible for social housing is immediately eligible for HAP and those households must source their own accommodation in the private rental sector.
The table below shows the number of households at the end of 2020, broken down by local authority, who are in receipt of HAP support.
|
Local Authority |
Total Active HAP Tenancies |
|
Carlow County Council |
743 |
|
Cavan County Council |
429 |
|
Clare County Council |
1,423 |
|
Cork City Council |
3,133 |
|
Cork County Council |
3,722 |
|
Donegal County Council |
1,833 |
|
Dublin City Council |
4,863 |
|
Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council |
735 |
|
Fingal County Council |
2,089 |
|
Galway City Council |
1,951 |
|
Galway County Council |
1,428 |
|
Kerry County Council |
1,623 |
|
Kildare County Council |
2,398 |
|
Kilkenny County Council |
854 |
|
Laois County Council |
982 |
|
Leitrim County Council |
293 |
|
Limerick City & County Council |
2,442 |
|
Longford County Council |
379 |
|
Louth County Council |
3,280 |
|
Mayo County Council |
1,356 |
|
Meath County Council |
2,275 |
|
Monaghan County Council |
628 |
|
Offaly County Council |
877 |
|
Roscommon County Council |
468 |
|
Sligo County Council |
831 |
|
South Dublin County Council |
2,936 |
|
Tipperary County Council |
1,868 |
|
Waterford City & County Council |
2,127 |
|
Westmeath County Council |
1,014 |
|
Wexford County Council |
1,613 |
|
Wicklow County Council |
1,668 |
|
Subtotal |
52,261 |
|
|
|
|
Dublin Regional Homeless Executive* |
7,560 |
|
Grand Total |
59,821 |
*The DRHE is operating the HAP Homeless Place Finder Service on behalf of the four Dublin local authorities.
The Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS) has been an important contributor to social housing supply since its introduction in 2005 and has placed responsibility on local authorities to meet the accommodation needs of people in receipt of Rent Supplement for 18 months or longer, and who are assessed as having a long-term housing need. RAS has provided a more structured, accommodation-based approach to the use of the private rented sector to meet long-term housing need, thereby eliminating dependence on temporary income support payments through Rent Supplement. The scheme is delivered by local authorities who source accommodation from both the private market and Approved Housing Bodies.
Details of the number of households in the private market in receipt of the RAS scheme at end 2020, broken down by local authority, is set out in the table below:
|
Local Authority |
Private RAS Tenancies |
|
Carlow County Council |
389 |
|
Cavan County Council |
410 |
|
Clare County Council |
216 |
|
Cork City Council |
590 |
|
Cork County Council |
428 |
|
Donegal County Council |
209 |
|
Dublin City Council |
872 |
|
Dublin South County Council |
859 |
|
Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council |
269 |
|
Fingal County Council |
531 |
|
Galway City Council |
186 |
|
Galway County Council |
165 |
|
Kerry County Council |
747 |
|
Kildare County Council |
357 |
|
Kilkenny County Council |
443 |
|
Laois County Council |
96 |
|
Leitrim County Council |
77 |
|
Limerick City and County Council |
792 |
|
Longford County Council |
150 |
|
Louth County Council |
27 |
|
Mayo County Council |
558 |
|
Meath County Council |
255 |
|
Monaghan County Council |
81 |
|
Offaly County Council |
105 |
|
Roscommon County Council |
282 |
|
Sligo County Council |
348 |
|
Tipperary County Council |
833 |
|
Waterford City & County Council |
347 |
|
Westmeath County Council |
523 |
|
Wexford County Council |
432 |
|
Wicklow County Council |
280 |
|
Total |
11,857 |
RAS and HAP continue to be effective and secure forms of social housing support, and remain a significant part of the suite of social housing options currently available to those who are assessed as being in need of housing support.
Responsibility for the Rent Supplement Scheme falls within the remit of my colleague, the Minister for Social Protection.