Just 20 homes to rent under HAP scheme in June, report finds

The HAP scheme figures show 20 eligible homes out of 1,303

The figures come from the latest quarterly 'Locked Out of the Market' report by the Simon Communities of Ireland.

Across the 16 areas surveyed by the charity over three dates in June, 1,303 properties were available to rent at any price.

An increase of 233 (22%) since March 2026, and up 33% on the 978 recorded in March 2025. Yet only 20 of those fell within Housing Assistance Payment limits.

Supply remains overwhelmingly concentrated in the capital: 17 of the 20 (85%) were found across the three Dublin study areas, with Kildare the only other county to offer any, at three.

It is the latest sign of the deepening housing crisis.

The number of study areas with no HAP-eligible properties at all rose from nine in March to 12 in June, after Cork City Centre, Dundalk and Sligo Town lost their remaining listings.

HAP is a form of social housing support run by local authorities, under which the council pays a landlord directly while the tenant makes a weekly rent contribution.

The Simon Communities has repeatedly warned that renters relying on the payment are being priced out of the market, with the charity's reports charting a persistent shortfall between HAP limits and real market rents.