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RTÉ News
16 hours ago
- Politics
- RTÉ News
Rise in number of people recorded as homeless last month
The number of men, women and children experiencing homelessness increased in May compared to the previous month. Latest figures from the Department of Housing show 15,747 adults and children were accessing emergency accommodation. The figure is up from 15,580 in April. The number of children is 4,844 - up from 4,775, while the number of adults increased to 10,903 from 10,805. Focus Ireland CEO Pat Dennigan said the figures show "the Government's current approach to homelessness is failing". "There needs to be far more urgency in the Government's response to help end this terrible human crisis," he added. The charity's CEO called on the Government to reform the Housing Assistance Payment scheme and "must deliver a radical policy shift to provide a range of housing". 'We just heard this week that the new Housing and Homelessness Plan is now delayed until at least September," Mr Dennigan said. "We need action now and there are some actions the Government could take immediately to improve the situation," he added. The Dublin Simon Community said that while a housing crisis may be on the political agenda, "its most devastating consequence - homelessness - remains overlooked". It added that "there is doubt as to whether the Government cares about addressing the instability, harsh and immediate realities" of the homeless figures. The Dublin Simon Community CEO said "stability must be at the forefront in addressing the chaotic housing market with chronic shortages". "All eyes are now focused on a housing plan and Budget 2026 as to what it will provide as incentives to kickstart a greater housing supply in a market that has plateaued," Catherine Kenny said. "As the new rental rules will do little to help those stuck in emergency accommodation, the next national housing plan, due in a few weeks, must bring meaningful measures for those who are experiencing homelessness," she added. 'Shameful milestone' Sinn Féin and the Social Democrats said the rising homeless figures were a result of Government failures. Sinn Féin's housing spokesperson Eoin Ó'Broin said the increase in child homelessness figures over the decade "is the direct result of the failure of Government to deliver a sufficient volume of social and affordable homes". The Social Democrats housing spokesperson called the child homelessness figures "a shameful milestone". Rory Hearne said the figures are a "direct result of policy choices made by the Government", adding such failures are "intolerable and inexcusable". "The state could be facing a national redress scheme for children who have been in emergency accommodation," he said.
RTÉ News
2 days ago
- General
- RTÉ News
'Hugely distressing for more and more' people facing homelessness in retirement
It is described as the ticking time bomb of the housing crisis. Many people wonder if they will ever afford to buy a home and how they will pay for rising rents in retirement. A recent meeting of the National Homeless Action Committee heard that housing charities and advocacy groups are sounding alarm bells over an increasing trend of people in their 60s needing to access emergency accommodation for the first time, with specific reference to Galway. The City of the Tribes has seen eight consecutive quarters of high rental inflation, a concerning trend, according to the Residential Tenancies Board. Galway Simon Community confirmed that it is seeing more and more older people entering homelessness for the first time. 66-year-old Carmel moved to the city from Dublin to be close to her son and grandchild nine years ago but has struggled to find a home. She qualifies for the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) but "landlords won't accept it", she says, in such a competitive rental market. Carmel began working as a live-in carer for sick and elderly people to pay her bills, but also as a roof over her head. However, having injured her shoulder recently, she is no longer able for the physical work of personal care. Carmel is still living in the home of a previous client because she has "nowhere to go". With weekly pension payments of "€300 a week" and rent for apartments in Galway of around "€2,000 euro a month", she describes her situation as "impossible" and "soul destroying". "I never thought I'd be homeless," she told RTÉ's Drivetime, as she spoke of her constant stress and uncertainty that "feels like a dead end, like I'm never going to have a place where I can relax and call home". For Mary Jane, who is 65, it was "absolutely terrifying" to get an eviction notice from the Co Galway flat that she had be renting for seven years. The former chef raised her daughters in the city, but had to give up restaurant work in recent years due to back problems and found it "hard to get HAP" so she had to move. When that property was being sold, Mary Jane faced not knowing whether she would be "sleeping in a doorway, or on somebody's floor" or where she would be. She described her situation as "very frightening" at a time when she had hoped to plan her retirement. "I never thought I would become homeless" at this age, she added, tearfully, speaking of feeling "constantly sick" and crying at night. "It was just horrible, you just don't expect it," Mary Jane added. Across Ireland, 15,580 people are living in emergency accommodation, according to the most recent figures from the Department of Housing, with 244 of them - or 2% - over the age of 65. Facing homelessness in retirement is "hugely distressing for more and more" people, according to Galway Simon Community. With more people renting rather than owning their homes, Chief Executive Karen Golden said that when people "reach pension age and their income decreases fairly substantially, they're no longer able to afford the rising rents" in what she described as the "deeply problematic private rental sector". Galway Simon Community recently developed a block of ten one-bedroom A-rated apartments specifically designed for older people and those with impaired mobility. The building, on a former derelict site next to its 24/7 emergency hostel facility and support services, receiveved funding support from the Department of Housing through Galway City Council. According to Ms Golden, the plan is "to provide accessible homes with security for older people who could be otherwise facing homelessness", adding that she "would advocate for more of this type of development in Galway and elsewhere because it is so badly needed". The ten apartments were occupied within a week of their launch and could have been filled "many times over", according to Galway Simon, as it endeavors to provide a positive outcome for more pensioners in precarious housing situations, including Carmel, who said she does not know "what's going to happen to her in the future". Mary Jane was one of the fortunate ones to finally get her "forever home" in the development and is already "planning Christmas" with her grandchildren there. She spoke of "relief, when you come into somewhere, you know it's safe and secure, and yours for your lifetime" where you can "breathe and relax". "It's what we all deserve," she added, and it is "so important to feel that".
Irish Independent
18-06-2025
- Business
- Irish Independent
Applications for 28 long-term rental homes in Cork city now open
The new Cost Rental homes are located in Longview, in the northside city suburb, and delivered by Clúid in partnership with Cork City Council. The rents for these homes will be up to 30% below the average for the area. Clúid opened applications for the next two weeks, which can be made up until 5pm on Wednesday, July 2. Interested applicants will be able to apply for one of the five brand new two-bed houses, with a rent of €1,340 per month, or one of the 23 three-bed houses with a rent of €1,479 per month. Clúid expects residents to begin getting their keys in late August. Interested parties need to register their interest online, via and upload supporting documentation to the online portal. Documents required include proof of identity, bank statements to prove household income, and employer and landlord references. Colin Byrne, head of affordable rental at Clúid Housing, said: 'We're delighted to be opening our third Cost Rental scheme in Cork City at Longview. Ballyvolane is a buzzing suburb, with a range of retail and leisure options, and Cork City Centre is easily accessible by public transport,' he said. 'We anticipate all these factors will lead to high levels of interest.' ADVERTISEMENT Learn more Mr Byrne recommended those interested in the housing to start the application process as soon as possible. The homes are near the schools and shops of Ballvolane, with Cork City and a range of employment hubs in close proximity. As well the landscaped green areas, play spaces and a new greenway within the scheme, residents can also enjoy the open space and amenities of Glen River Park, just a short walk away. Cost Rental homes is a new form of renting housing tenure in Ireland and are designed for people who do not qualify for social housing or other support like Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) but also struggle to rent in the open market. To be eligible for Cost Rental homes, applicants must be able to prove that their household income is below €59,000 per year, they do not receive housing support, they can afford the rent, they don't own a property already and the household is the correct size for the home. The Longview Cost Rental homes were delivered by Clúid in partnership with Cork City Council, and with the support of the Department of Housing, Heritage and Local Government, The Housing Agency and the Housing Finance Agency. The developer is Longview Estates Ltd. and the main contractor is Cork-based CField Construction.
Irish Independent
16-06-2025
- Politics
- Irish Independent
Wexford family with ‘profound medical needs' removed from choice-based letting system as council accused of lacking ‘humanity'
Explaining that the family in question had registered for WCC's choice-based letting (CBL) system which allows social-housing applicants to 'bid' on available properties, Cllr Dwyer said they had recently received an offer of housing from the council. 'There are three adults currently living in one house, two of them with profound medical needs,' began the New Ross councillor. 'They were offered a two-bedroom house via CBL, which was totally unsuitable given the medical needs of one of the adults; they didn't even bid on this house. But because they didn't accept the offer they've now been removed from CBL. This is shameful. 'They have medical reports which specify the need for a three-bed house and yet they've been arbitrarily moved and now can't bid on anything.' The independent councillor then went on to highlight two further cases which he felt had been handled poorly by the council's housing department. 'There's a person with a 10 per cent ownership of a derelict house, he's one of ten siblings. He has been refused access to WCC's housing list, instead he's been given access to Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) – offering that to a single person is nonsensical. The availability of HAP properties in Co Wexford is non-existent. That person should be allowed to go on the housing list.' The last case Cllr Dwyer wished to bring attention to involved WCC's policies regarding providing social houses for those with criminal convictions. 'We have a five-year disbarment policy for a criminal conviction,' he said. 'Now I'm someone who has argued that criminals should not be given council houses, however, there's an unforeseen but well-known fall-out from this. The children and partners of those who have been convicted of relatively minor offences are suffering; families are still barred from getting a council house because of €20 drug fines from 2019. 'Somebody needs to inject a little passion and humanity into housing. Ticking boxes is well and good but there are implications to these actions, there are hundreds and hundreds of children who are being punished for the sins of their father. And we call ourselves a Christian country.' Having listened to Cllr Dwyer's impassioned speech, chief executive Eddie Taaffe appeared a little nonplussed. 'I'm not sure there was a question there,' he remarked. 'There most certainly was,' replied the councillor. In response, Mr Taaffe advised Cllr Dwyer that there was a time and place to discuss sensitive cases. 'I'm not going to get into a debate here, and neither are the officials, on individual housing cases, that's now what this meeting is about,' he said. 'You're perfectly entitled to make an appointment with the housing team and come into us where we can go through the details of these cases privately. The council chamber is not the place for this. We're not going to get into the intricacies of individual cases here.' 'I'm asking you to clarify WCC policy and answer why a family of three with profound medical needs would be offered a two-bedroom house they didn't apply for?' asked Cllr Dwyer., 'That is not policy, it's an individual case. We're happy to discuss it in private,' continued Mr Taaffe. Growing increasingly frustrated, Cllr Dwyer reminded the chief executive that he had been through the rigours of a local election to gain a seat in the council chamber. 'I don't appreciate being lectured and being told what questions I can and can't ask, you do not go for election, I do.' With Cllr Dwyer accusing Mr Taaffe of silencing his own staff, director of housing Carolyne Godkin interjected on her own behalf. 'I'm not familiar with the case but I'm happy to look at it,' she said of the case involving the family with medical needs. 'With convictions, they may not have been actually convicted until two years later, our policy is where someone is convicted of a crime, and a crime which does impact the community, that does impact whether they get a house or not. 'If somebody is convicted of a drug offence they can't apply for a house until at least five years after their conviction, and in my view that's the right policy. During Covid-19 there was a pause on convictions and we were taking it on a case-by-case basis for individuals who would have been substantially penalised, there was a delay in court cases so we had to take that into account. But this is not appropriate to discuss in the public forum, this is someone's life we're talking about.'
The Journal
05-06-2025
- 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
