HAP Hazard...Only one Housing Assistance Payment approved in September out of 50 applications as councillors blast scheme ‘not fit for purpose’

Difficulties accessing the HAP housing support scheme could force many families into homelessness, councillors have warned as it emerged just one HAP application was approved for the entire county in September.

“The Housing Assistance Payment scheme is not fit for purpose,” according to Cllr Eddie Fennessy who said the difficulty obtaining HAP is leaving many families facing homelessness.

In the Managers Report to last week's meeting of Meath County Council, it emerged that just one HAP payment had been approved for the entire month of September, but there had been 50 applications for the scheme.

“If ever a set of figures exposed the hopelessness of the housing crisis it’s those,” said Cllr Fennessy.

“To put them into perspective, there was one HAP application approved through the entire month of September. Whilst during the same period, fifty families were approved for social housing supports and HAP access. All those families will expect to be in a position to rent a property using HAP. There aren’t any.

“None of the blame for any of this lies with the council officials. That blame is the sole preserve of the minister, the current and successive governments who have failed to get to grips with the scale of the housing crisis. Housing policy over the past ten years exacerbated the crisis and made it worse.”

Cllr Fennessy has dealt with countless HAP applicants over the years and gave the example of one recent application, a young woman who has been given notice to quit her rented accommodation over the next few weeks.

After months of searching she found a suitable home, but the rent was less than €100 over the approved limit, and her application was refused.

“This case is another example that exposes the futility of HAP, which is a key plank of the governments housing policy. For months, we have searched for a property to prevent her from entering homelessness. When we found one, it was deemed as unsustainable because it is less than €100 over what the government’s HAP policy deems as affordable.

“That decision was made by council officials, who are entirely blameless in this process. They merely follow the instructions of the housing minister and his government. It is a decision, though, that might force this young woman into homelessness.

“The housing sector is in chaos. Fianna Fail or Fine Gael have neither the will nor determination to fix a mess entirely of their own creation.

“Just one application in the month is very poor. There are no affordable properties. The rent now on houses in Navan is €2,000 to €2,500 per month,” he said.

Cllr Helen Meyer said the figures said the fact that just one application had been approved in September, showed the scale of the problem. “It tells us a lot about HAP and the struggles people have to find somewhere to live,” she said.

At last week's meeting, Fiona Fallon, Director of Services for Housing said: “Unfortunately there was only one HAP approved during September and that is down to down to the availability of rental properties and the HAP levels paid to landlords.

There are just 12,000 houses in the HAP scheme in the county at the moment, which is a substantial drop from last year.

“It is just the situation we are working through at the moment, and we continue to engage with people looking for HAP properties,” Ms Fallon said.