Councillor says Carlow's Housing Assistance Payment scheme 'not fit for purpose'
A motion has been tabled
A councillor has said that Carlow's Housing Assistance Payment scheme is "not fit for purpose".
Cllr Adrienne Wallace has tabled a motion ahead of the Carlow Municipal District meeting this Thursday calling on the local authority to write to the Minister for Housing, Eoghan Murphy.
The motions wants "to stress that the Housing Assistance Payment Scheme (HAPS) is currently not fit for purpose and to call for an increase in the amount people in Carlow can receive".
Cllr Wallace added: "The average listed rent in Carlow is now €963, up 62% from its lowest point. Yet the amount available to a couple or 1 adult with 3 children in Carlow is only €630."
HAP is a form of social housing support provided by all local authorities. HAP means that local authorities can provide housing assistance for households who qualify for social housing support, including many long-term Rent Supplement recipients.
Under HAP, local authorities will make a monthly payment to a landlord, subject to terms and conditions including rent limits, on a HAP tenant’s behalf.
In return, the HAP tenant pays a weekly contribution towards the rent to the local authority. This ‘rent contribution’ is based on the household income. It is calculated in the same way as the rent paid by a tenant of a local authority owned property.