Focus Ireland, Threshold and St. Vincent de Paul are among those who have made submissions to the Department of Social Protection (DSP) as part of the Department’s ‘Review of Rent Supplement Levels’. All three organisations submit that maximum levels of rent supplement are too low and do not meet market levels of rent. The organisations are united in their recommendations that the Government reform their method of calculating rent supplement levels.
Threshold identified three major problems: increasing individuals and families becoming homeless as a result of rising rents; increased prevalence of ‘top-up payments’ with recipients making up the difference between the supplement and the market value of rents; landlords displacing rent supplement tenants and refusing rent supplement payments. Focus Ireland has released figures which show that 39 families were made homeless in July alone. In their submission, Focus called for revision of the rent supplement payments to reflect the reality of rent levels, to prevent families and individuals from losing their homes. According to the report, the levels of payments are set too low, and to prevent losing their homes, people are forced to top-up their rent supplement, because the rent supplement does not meet their needs.
Focus warned that the Government’s current rent review process is ‘fatally flawed’ and needs reform to prevent a further rise in the levels of families and individuals forced into homelessness. Their submission highlights in particular the way in which rent caps are decided and recommended they be set based on the real average rent for each area and not for the lowest third of the rental market. “Essentially the Government is trying to push the 30% of households who rely on rent supplement into the bottom third of the market.” The submission from St. Vincent de Paul states that the Government’s current use of the thirty fifth percentile of availability does not take into account the fact that many landlords do not accept tenants on the Rent Supplement Scheme.
Focus Ireland welcomed the fact the Government has initiated a process to review the maximum level of rent supplement, but impressed further the urgency of the matter, with people forced into homelessness on a daily basis. The charities said the Government also needs to bring in greater rent regulation to provide greater security for tenants and the tax payer by keeping rents in line with inflation. The charities are calling on the Government to implement these reform measures in Budget 2015, to help resolve the current housing crisis.
Click here to read a press release from Focus Ireland.
Click here to read the Submission from Focus Ireland.
Click here to read the submission from Threshold.
Click here to read the submission from St. Vincent de Paul.