Homeless HAP is an adjunct to the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme rather than a separate scheme in itself. It comprises additional financial supports and access to the Place Finder service. As a demand-led scheme, HAP does not allocate specific funding to local authorities. Instead, costs accrued in the operation of the scheme are paid via a shared services centre administered by Limerick City and County Council.
From 2016 up to the end of 2022, 22,488 Homeless HAP tenancies were set up across all 31 local authorities. Once a Homeless HAP tenancy is set up, the ongoing cost of the tenancy is provided for under the general HAP scheme monthly landlord payments.
The Place Finder service was established in January 2018 and was made available to each of the 31 local authorities from August 2019. 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 authorities.
The operation of the Place Finder service is a matter for each local authority. By the end of 2022: 28 local authorities had been granted sanction for dedicated Place Finder staff; 1 local authority was in the process of seeking sanction; and 2 local authorities had yet to seek sanction. Local authorities also have the option to enhance this service, if required, through their homeless services by assigning dedicated staff to provide assistance.
To assist authorities successfully implement the Place Finder initiative, my Department provides an allowance towards a dedicated Place Finder officer post funded under Section 10 of the Housing Act, 1988. Under the normal arrangements for Section 10, housing authorities must provide at least 10% of the cost of homeless services from their own resources. Furthermore, housing authorities may also incur additional expenditure on homeless related services outside of the Exchequer funding arrangements provided by my Department. Therefore, the exact amounts spent by housing authorities on homeless services including on the dedicated Place Finder officers, are a matter for individual housing authorities. The expenditure by my Department towards Place Finder positions in 2022 was €1,499,428.
