HAP Review Long Overdue Admits Housing Minister

People living in social list are looking for more clarity around the HAP payment.

Charities like Focus Ireland have been calling on the Housing Minister to review the rates for the Housing Assitance Payment.

They say currently, the rate isn't in line with market rents and low income households are struggling to access and maintain accommodation.

It had been hoped the HAP review would be published this month. 

Minister James Browne says they are working on that report and he'd like to see it sooner rather than later.

"We all recognise that there needs to be a review of the limits because there hasn't been one for some length of time, a good few years now.

"That is being finalised now that report, it will see an increase in the HAP limits but I then have to negotiate with the relevant Ministers, the Minister of Finance and Public Expenditure to secure the funding and justify it.

"I think the HAP review is something that is well due now."

Meanwhile, Minister Browne says he'd like to see more movement on the problem of dereliction, calling it "anti social behaviour".

Changes are coming next year which will see Revenue take over the collection of the derelict sites levy in an attempt to bring more properties lying vacant back into public use.

Minister Browne feels it's not just a housing problem.

"My view on these properties is that it's anti social behaviour because nobody should have a derelict property in their ownership.

"These properties go up in value when they're contributing nothing back to the local community so you want those properties in somebody's hands who's going to use them."

"If you get people living in them, it actually tackles anti social behaviour because people knows there's eyes on them and it's just good for the community.

"An awful lot of what I'm doing here yes it's about getting houses back in but it's also about building and strengthening our local communities as well."

That report was funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.