Only 14 Properties Available Under HAP Scheme in 16 Areas Last Month

Only 14 properties were available to rent under the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme across 16 local authority areas last month, a decrease of 17 properties since December. This is according to the Simon Communities of Ireland’s quarterly ‘Locked Out of the Market’ report, the first conducted since government rent reforms took effect on March 1.

The report, which surveyed 16 areas over three days in March, found 1,070 properties available to rent at any price, a 15% increase from 929 in December 2025, but a 4% reduction from 1,119 in March last year. Of the 14 HAP properties, 11 were in Dublin, with others in Cork city centre, Dundalk, and Sligo Town. Ten of the 16 study areas, including Galway and Limerick city centres, had no HAP properties available last month. Eight areas had no HAP properties in either the December 2025 or March 2026 reports.

Ber Grogan, executive director of Simon Communities, stated that the private rental sector remains inaccessible for many, driving homelessness. She emphasized that recent rent reforms do not address affordability, especially for HAP households. Grogan called for immediate adjustments to HAP rent caps to reflect market rates, citing the Ombudsman’s investigation into HAP inefficiencies. The Department of Housing has also begun a review of HAP rent limits.

Labour’s housing spokesperson, Conor Sheehan, expressed concern over the lack of HAP properties in major cities and urged Minister for Housing James Browne to expedite the HAP review and increase limits immediately. Sheehan warned that Minister Browne’s rent hike bill, allowing landlords to reset rents to market rates, will exacerbate the emergency.