Government must change HAP limits
The Locked Out report published today should be a catalyst for government to change the HAP limits, said Labour housing spokesperson Rebecca Moynihan.
Pointing to CSO data published yesterday, Senator Moynihan said older people are shown to be spending a greater portion of their income on rent and there is a older person rental crisis likely to explode.
Senator Moynihan said:
“The Locked Out report points again to huge failings in government housing policy. The Minister is failing to grasp the nettle and tackle the housing crisis through the delivery of State led social and affordable homes for rent.
“He has also failed to consider the structural constraints for people hoping to rent, all of whom are paying extortionate monthly rents, are experiencing the huge increase in the cost of living and none of whom are seeing their wages keep pace. The HAP limits have not been revised since 2016 despite the fact that rents have increased exponentially since then. These urgently need to be reviewed – particularly as we see that there was just one rental property available for a single person within the HAP limits.
“Data published by the CSO yesterday shows that there is a greater number of older people renting than ever before, and these are in the cohort which spend the greatest proportion of their incomes on rent. The facts don’t lie. We need to see government policy taking a greater focus on cost rental available to the public to ensure that everyone can have a secure and affordable home. There needs to be ambition for all sections of society, not just for investors and developers.”