Latest news with #HousingAssistancePayment
The Journal
16 hours ago
- Business
- The Journal
Over 53,000 rental homes 'effectively taken off' private market due to HAP scheme, report finds
A NEW REPORT has highlighted a number of areas of concern in relation to the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme, uncovering systemic failures, widespread delays, and a worsening impact on the rental housing market. The investigation, carried out by the Ombudsman, found that the HAP scheme has effectively removed thousands of properties from the private rental sector – contributing to rising rents and making it harder for people to find housing, both within and outside the scheme. Among the most pressing issues identified was the delay in processing HAP applications. The report highlighted that in some cases, applicants experienced long waits between applying and receiving confirmation or payment. As a result, some lost out on rental properties while waiting for approval. The Ombudsman, Ger Deering, said that his office 'has received numerous complaints from members of the public who believed they had been disadvantaged by the current system.' Another isue note in the report was the duplication between the HAP and social housing application processes. Applicants must often submit the same documentation twice, once for social housing support and again for HAP, despite the fact that approval for social housing should automatically entitle them to HAP assistance. The report also pointed to disparities in how HAP tenants are treated compared to tenants in direct social housing. HAP recipients are frequently given less security and face greater financial uncertainty. Additionally, the report criticised local authorities for failing to provide clear, consistent information about key elements of the scheme — including how much rent tenants are expected to pay and what discretionary increases might be available. As of the end of 2024, HAP was supporting 53,742 households across the country. Advertisement According to the Ombudsman, this has effectively withdrawn the same number of properties from the private rental market, intensifying competition and inflating rental prices. 'This has contributed to the sustained increase in the rate of rents, which in turn has made it more difficult to source properties for both HAP tenants and those renting independently,' the report states. The scheme, launched in September 2014, was designed as a replacement for the Rent Supplement system and is administered by Ireland's 31 local authorities. HAP provides a direct payment to landlords on behalf of eligible tenants, with caps in place based on household size and location. Local authorities can raise the cap by up to 35% in certain cases, though this often still falls short of actual rental costs. As rents continue to rise, many HAP recipients are now paying large top-ups to their landlords in addition to the rent they pay to local authorities, a situation that charities have warned is unsustainable. The Ombudsman has recommended that HAP payments be backdated to the start of a tenancy once an applicant is approved for social housing support. He has also called for a thorough review of the scheme to streamline the application process, improve transparency, and ensure fairer treatment for tenants. Deering added that an 'information pack' provided to HAP applicants, and should include indicative rent figures, information on the HAP cap and an explanation that there may be an increase available, depending on the situation 'This information should be presented in a simple and accessible format,' the report states. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
Irish Examiner
17 hours ago
- Politics
- Irish Examiner
Almost 3,000 council homes currently boarded up across Ireland, new figures show
There are more than 770 councils homes across Ireland which have been boarded up for more than a year. New figures released under Freedom of Information to Sinn Féin's Thomas Gould show local authorities have a total of 2,749 council homes currently boarded up across the State. Of those, 776 have been out of use for over a year, with two in Wicklow out of use for between 84 and 90 months. According to the most recent report of the National Oversight and Audit Commission, the average re-letting time in 2023 was 33.72 weeks, an improvement on 35.22 weeks in 2022. However, these varied from 13 weeks in Laois and 15 weeks in Monaghan to 65 weeks in Kerry and 61 in Limerick. Mr Gould said the number of homes empty was "insulting to those impacted by the housing emergency". "Each of these homes should have a family living in them, children growing up in those four walls. Instead, these homes are empty and children are growing up in hotels. 'They [the Government] try to blame everyone but themselves. The reality is that this is an issue in all local authorities and in far too many communities because of their failings. They do not provide enough funding to maintain homes and they do not provide enough funding to return them to use. 'There are more than 20 homes across the State that have been idle for longer than five years." In total, the FOI reveals, councils spent €366m on maintenance of homes, but requests for maintenance countrywide was 169% of the number of homes. Meanwhile. a report by Ombudsman Ger Deering into the Housing Assistance Payment (Hap) scheme has found inconsistencies in how it is operated by local authorities, delays in some applications being processed, and inequities between how Hap tenants and social housing tenants are treated. The Ombudsman's report identified a number of issues with the scheme, including a significant amount of duplication between the application process for social housing support and the application process for Hap, with much of the same documentation needed to apply for both. In addition, a separate application must be made for each scheme, despite the fact approval for social housing support automatically entitles a household to Hap. Read More Due to delays in processing some applications for Hap, there can be a significant difference between the date the application is made, and the date it is validated and payment starts, the report adds. In the meantime, the applicant may have lost out on the property due to the delay. The Ombudsman said where an applicant had been approved for social housing support, they should be entitled to payment from the date their tenancy starts. Read More Cork and Kerry mental health services have fewer staff now than during staffing crisis two years ago
Sunday World
7 days ago
- Business
- Sunday World
Election candidate owes thousands to young mum he charged extra to rent his property
Mother of three Kirsty Fitzsimons says she was told to fork out extra for a 'top-up' to the agreed rent costs from Dermot McGuckin. Names to be blurred out on Fitzsimons rent extorsion talking to Alan Sherry in Mullingar Gary Ashe,21/5/2025 Dermot McGuckin says the RTB hearing went ahead without his knowledge An election candidate and landlord who called for more social and affordable housing for struggling families has refused to pay thousands he owes to a young mother after the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) found he had illegally withheld her deposit. Dermot (Diarmuid) McGuckin (58), who is originally from Dublin but living in Fossa, Co Kerry, was ordered by the RTB to pay €3,280 to Kirsty Fitzsimons for illegally withholding her deposit for a property he rents out in Tallaght, Dublin. As well as running as an Independent candidate in the local elections in Killarney, McGuckin has set up firms in diverse industries, including home care for the elderly, tourism, cleaning services and communications. He is also a taxi driver and was elected chair of the Irish Taxi Federation in Killarney. McGuckin further describes himself as a public relations consultant, and a number of years ago set up The Bellarose Foundation, which he said provided cleaning and care services to women going through chemotherapy. Kirsty Fitzsimons with documentation for the RTB He also organised a Great Santa Cycle in Killarney to raise funds for what he called the Bellarose Youth Development Fund. As well as not returning his tenant's deposit, McGuckin was also getting Kirsty to secretly pay an additional €830 per month on top of the €1,950 lease agreement. Kirsty said: 'When we contacted him about renting it, he said, 'I have someone else who is highly interested and it is between you and them. They have offered x, y and z above the lease, what can you offer'? 'I have never seen anything like it – and I've been renting since 2017,' she said. Kirsty said she felt like she had no option but to pay the extra to secure the rental property which is in Forest Lawns in Kingswood. News in 90 Seconds - May 30th 'I had three children and was desperate for a house for the kids and there was no alternative. He had €1,950 down as the lease agreement but was actually charging €2,780. 'When I told the HAP [Housing Assistance Payment scheme] about this they said to stop paying him extra rent. After that, he was contacting me at all times about the top-up. He was actually the most difficult landlord I ever dealt with in my life.' When McGuckin ran in the local elections in Kerry he claimed one of his main concerns was 'more social and affordable housing' for struggling families. Kirsty said her experience with him was 'completely different'. Kirsty Fitzsimons tells our reporter her story 'He said he was for families and all that. If he was, he wouldn't be charging outrageous amounts of rent for young families. I think it was ridiculous. All he cared about was the money. 'I'm waiting for the deposit nearly two years. I think he thought I'm young so he'd be able to take advantage.' In the end, Kirsty only stayed in the house for six months before leaving, but when she did leave in July 2023, McGuckin refused to give her the €2,780 security deposit back. McGuckin has owed the money to the young mother-of-three for almost two years but had point blank refused to give it back, didn't bother turning up to the RTB hearing and has not responded to Ms Fitzsimons' calls and messages since. Things were even more stressful for Kirsty after she received bad health news recently. 'I was going through all this with the RTB and him, and then I found out I had a BRCA1 gene for breast and ovarian cancer. I have to get a double mastectomy and an ovariectomy.' The RTB ordered McGuckin to pay the €2,780 deposit and an additional €500 in compensation. However, when contacted by the Sunday World, McGuckin claimed that he wasn't even aware there had been an RTB case against him. 'To have a court case [RTB hearing] without me being there is very f**king harsh. But I don't know, I'd have to see what notes I have on it and bring them up. 'To go ahead and have a hearing without me having any input whatsoever, surely there's a law against that?' Kirsty is now facing the prospect of surgery A spokesperson for the RTB confirmed there is indeed a law against that and rubbished McGuckin's claims that they would schedule the hearing without informing all parties. 'By law, we must give notice of a dispute hearing. We will only schedule a case for a hearing when we have contact details for all parties,' they said. The spokesperson said the RTB contacts all parties to confirm contact details before sending them hearing notices. As well as claiming he was unaware of the RTB case, McGuckin tried to justify not giving back the deposit and made a series of claims which Kirsty said were outright lies. 'There was a lot of reasons why she didn't get it back at the time,' McGuckin claimed. Asked what they were, he said: 'Damage to the property and there was some stuff gone from the property that was there when she moved in.' Asked for examples of either damage or missing items, he couldn't provide even a single one. 'Ah now, I have a list there I'd have to go through. As I said, this is the first I've heard about this,' he said. Kirsty said McGuckin was lying about damage to the property and any missing items. 'It's complete and utter nonsense. I can't believe he said there were things missing. I've never been accused of stealing before. He can't tell you what was missing because there was nothing missing.' She said every other landlord she has dealt with, including estate agents, have always given her glowing references. McGuckin also claimed he hadn't heard from Kirsty since she left in July 2023. 'I'm at a loss of what to tell you. I haven't heard from her since she left. I think once maybe she got in contact after she left.' However, Kirsty said that was another lie and she has contacted him numerous times since by phone and by email, but he has ignored all communication. Asked if he was willing to give her back her deposit now, McGuckin said: 'I'd have to look in to that. I know it was withheld for a reason and probably multiple reasons, I wouldn't be holding onto anything you know... if everything was OK, there'd be no issue.' Kristy said she was insulted that McGuckin would try to say she was at fault for not getting her deposit back. 'I wouldn't have gone to the RTB if what he was saying was true and wouldn't be doing an interview about it. He didn't inspect the house before we moved in. He got the previous tenant to leave a key under the mat. He also didn't inspect it when we moved out. He had no bill for any supposed damage he claimed was caused, he can't name a single thing missing,' she said. When the Sunday World asked McGuckin why he was looking for an additional €830 in payments on top of the €1,950 lease, he initially said: 'Em, no, whatever was on the lease agreement would have been what was charged.' However, when we pointed out Kirsty had messages showing he was in fact demanding €2,780, he said: 'I can't remember off-hand. I mean you're after getting me completely off hand on this one.' Landlords can legitimately ask for payments on top of HAP payments if the HAP payments don't meet the rent amount, but cannot ever ask for payments on top of what is stated on the lease. The property was also in a rent pressure zone with strict limits on how much rent could be increased by from one year to the next.
Irish Examiner
29-04-2025
- General
- Irish Examiner
Cork Simon report shows near 'impossible' hopes of finding one or two-bedroom homes
Adults in emergency accommodation finding a one or two-bedroom houses would be like "finding dinosaur teeth", a new report from a Cork homeless service has claimed. Cork Simon Community's Home Truths paper, published toda, claims there is a "significant undersupply" of relevant housing for the largest household category in the country. The majority of adults in emergency accommodation in Cork and Kerry are single households, statistics from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) and the Department of Housing show. However, the report says that the majority of housing available is for three and four-bedroomed properties. Cork Simon says there are twice as many one and two person households in Cork City as there are one-and-two bedroom homes. It said there was "little sign" of the under-supply of one and two-bedroomed housing improving. Sophie Johnston of Cork Simon said that the issue was particularly affecting those on the social housing lists. "Over 60% of households on the social housing waiting list in Cork City are single households while over three-quarters of adults in homeless emergency accommodation here in the Southwest are single adults, most of whom need single unit housing to be able to leave homelessness," Ms Johnston said. "Not only do we need more housing, we especially need more one and two-bed housing.' Apartment units The report noted that apartment construction is a good indicator of future supply, with 80% of apartments in Cork City being one or two-bedroomed units. However, approved planning permissions for apartment units in Cork City fell by 61% in 2024, while less than one in four apartment units approved for planning in Cork City between 2018 and 2022 were completed by the end of 2024. Latest CSO data shows new apartment completions in Cork City were down 10% in the first quarter of 2025 compared to the same period last year. Building commencement notices for apartment units also fell in Cork City in the first quarter of 2025 to their lowest quarterly number in five years. John Foskett, a Cork Simon project worker, said: 'Finding one- and two-beds is like finding dinosaur teeth. There's nothing available on Daft. It's nonexistent." He added that while service users were normally going with a view to renting through Housing Assistance Payment (HAP), they were not finding success. "If I find somewhere available and we mention HAP, they don't get a call back. "With the lack of one- and two-beds over the last 18 months, it's an impossible market for our lads to break into." Barry, a Cork Simon service user, shared his experience for Home Truths, describing it as 'little-to-nothing'. He said: "If there was a single, you'd see the amount of views on it. There's too many people looking for the one accommodation, [that] kind of thing.' Read More Cork Airport to welcome 62,500 passengers this May bank holiday weekend
Irish Independent
25-04-2025
- Business
- Irish Independent
HAP housing in Galway at crisis point – ‘Housing is not a luxury, it is a fundamental human right'
Today at 06:52 Over the past four Locked Out of the Market reports from the Simon Communities of Ireland not one property that accepts the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) has been available in Galway City. The Locked Out of the Market reports are issued quarterly, with each report containing a snapshot study conducted over three consecutive days within a specific time frame.
