Social housing income thresholds
Richard Boyd Barrett said social housing income limits have not risen since 2023 and are pushing working people off housing lists. The Taoiseach said the housing Minister was considering an increase and that he would support raising the threshold.
I have asked the Taoiseach repeatedly about the social housing income thresholds, which have not been increased since 2023. Every year - indeed every month and every week - working people who have got a pay increase and who in some cases just get the working family payment are pushed over the limit. They might have been five, ten or 15 years on a housing list, and it is all gone. They are left in limbo. Most of the time when they go just over the threshold, their income is not sufficient to qualify for cost rental accommodation, so they are left nowhere.
It is completely unfair. It is a stealth cut by the Government when there is real housing need in this country. It is massaging the figures. The situation is perverse because if you actually get a social home, or indeed if you are in a housing assistance payment, HAP, tenancy, when your income goes up, you do not get evicted, you just pay more rent. People who are homeless are now getting thrown off-----
Comment on this
I said to the Deputy last week that the Minister for housing was considering this and would be coming back to the Government with proposals to increase the threshold. Three years ago, we did it. In 2023, it went up by approximately €5,000. I would support the increase in the threshold at which people would be entitled to social housing.