LABOUR housing spokesperson Conor Sheehan slammed the Government following the publication of the recent Simon Communities Locked Out of the Market report, which found no properties available within standard Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) limits across 16 areas surveyed, including in Limerick.
In December last, across 16 areas surveyed, there was not a single property available to rent within standard HAP limits. Out of 929 properties advertised over three days, just 31 fell within any HAP limits – representing just three per cent of available homes.
“This is not a marginal problem or a temporary blip. It shows a rental system that has stopped working for people on low and middle incomes,” the Limerick Labour TD said.
“The Simon Communities are clear about what this means. Households who rely on HAP, and who must source their own accommodation in the private market, simply cannot find a home. The result is families stuck in emergency accommodation, people sofa surfing, and workers forced to leave their communities because they cannot secure a place to live.”
According to Deputy Sheehan, what makes this even more stark is the timing, coming just after Government “forced through” changes to the rental sector in the Dáil last week.
“At a moment when renters already face record rents, limited supply and total insecurity, Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil chose to press ahead with measures that will drive rents higher. The bottom line is simple. Renters trapped in Ireland’s dysfunctional housing market will pay the price for what this Government has changed.”