Social Housing Update 16th April 2014

16th April 2014 - Bernard Durkan TD

Question No: 91 Ref No: 18239-14

To the Minister for Social Protection

To ask the Minister for Social Protection the extent to which she is aware of the situation affecting tenants on local authority housing lists currently dependent on rent support which in turn is inadequate to meet their needs in a rapidly changing market; if any consideration will be given to a means whereby some provision can be made by way of further assistance in order to protect against the threat of homelessness; and if she will make a statement on the matter.

– Bernard J. Durkan.

* For WRITTEN answer on Wednesday, 16th April, 2014.

R E P L Y

Minister for Social Protection (Joan Burton T.D):

The purpose of the rent supplement scheme is to provide short-term income support to assist with reasonable accommodation costs of eligible people living in private rented accommodation who are unable to provide for their accommodation costs from their own resources. The overall aim is to provide short term assistance, and not to act as an alternative to the other social housing schemes operated by the Exchequer. There are currently approximately 78,000 rent supplement recipients for which the Government has provided over €344 million for 2014.

Following the most recent review of the private rental market undertaken by the Department revised maximum rent limits were introduced from Monday 17 June 2013 until 31 December 2014. Despite the overall pressures on the social protection budget, there have been increases in the rent limits in some areas including Dublin and North Kildare. The purpose of the review is to ensure availability of accommodation for rent supplement tenancies and not to provide access to all housing in all areas while ensuring maximum value for money is achieved.

I am aware of the difficulties facing prospective tenants to secure appropriate accommodation due to the reduced availability of rental properties, particularly in Dublin. Increasing the maximum rent limits for rent supplement will not resolve this difficulty and would result in further increases in rental costs for all persons renting including those on reduced incomes and students. I have no plans to revise the maximum rent limits at this time.

The Dublin local authorities are currently engaging with the Department in developing an inter-agency intervention system to identify vulnerable families who are in receipt of rent supplement and at risk of becoming homeless due to the imminent loss of their tenancy. These cases will be assessed on an individual basis having regard to the individual circumstances of the families involved.

Department officials administering rent supplement have considerable experience in dealing with customers of the scheme and will continue to make every effort to ensure that their accommodation needs are met.

The Department’s strategic policy direction is to return rent supplement to its original purpose of a short term income support. In July 2013 the Government approved the introduction of the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP). Under HAP, responsibility for recipients of rent supplement with a long-term housing need will transfer from the Department of Social Protection to local authorities. Officials in the Department are working closely with those in the lead Department of Environment, Community and Local Government, in piloting HAP in Limerick City and County Council with further roll out to selected local authorities during the year.

Bernard Durkan TD

Kildare North

Bernard J Durkan is the Fine Gael spokesperson on Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform. Originally from Killasser, Co Mayo,…

Social Housing Update 16th April 2014

Bernard Durkan TD

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