More help needed for HAP clients

Fianna Fail’s Anthony Moore has called on the government to do more to help people using rent supplement and housing assistance (HAP) payments.

He pointed to a snapshot study carried out by the Simon Community, published last week, which found that, nationwide, only 8% of available rental properties were within the rent supplement and HAP limits.

He said “When it comes to our own county of Louth, a similar situation exists. The Simon Community found that out of 37 properties available to rent in Louth, only two properties were available to single persons and couples within the rent supplement / HAP limits.”

“This is an indictment of the Fine Gael / Independent government’s failure to increase housing supply and also to ensure that the rent supplement / HAP payments keep up with spiralling rents which, according to DAFT’s most recent rental price report, are up 13.5% in Louth in the first quarter of 2018 alone.

“The government does not seem to appreciate the urgency of the problem. It needs to increase rent supplements and HAP payments immediately. Unless this happens, more and more people will end up on the streets.”