Following a review conducted by the Department in 2022, the Government agreed to my recommendation to increase the baseline social housing income thresholds by €5,000 for all local authorities effective from 1 January 2023. The thresholds increased to €40,000, €35,000 and €30,000 for bands 1, 2 and 3 respectively.
In addition, my Department recently received detailed research, commissioned by The Housing Agency, the scope of which included examining the existing income limits in the context of current market and population conditions and the suitability or otherwise of the current framework having regard to the significantly changed landscape since the standardised income limits were introduced.
My Department will now undertake a detailed examination of the report and further analysis, including consultation with stakeholders. This detailed examination will look at, inter alia, how the social housing income limits system interacts with other housing supports and ensure that they continue to target households correctly.