No properties available to rent for social tenants in most cities in Ireland

There were no properties available to rent for people receiving the standard government housing assistance within nine out of 16 areas across Ireland.

HAP stands for Housing Assistance Payment, a social housing support which is available to low income families or single people.

The areas with no properties available include Athlone, Cork City Suburbs, Galway City Suburbs, Galway City Centre, Co. Leitrim, Limerick City Suburbs, Limerick City Centre, Portlaoise, and Waterford City Centre. 

Just 20 properties were available to rent throughout the areas surveyed for anyone using the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) Scheme limits in June.

Rising numbers of evictions from landlords force tenants back into a market where alternative HAP-compatible rents are not available, creating rising homelessness.

Last month, 17,482 people were living in emergency accommodation, which is up 35 compared to May.

The figures indicate that the rise is due to an increase in homeless children.

In June of this year, 11,862 adults and 5,620 children were designated homeless by the government. This does not include rough sleepers, those staying with family and families in domestic refuges and those in Direct Provision who cannot leave due to lack of housing elsewhere.

The Simon Community report found 1,303 properties were available to rent at any price within the 16 areas surveyed over three dates surveyed in June.

There were no properties available to couple/one parent households with one child through a standard HAP rate.

Likewise, there were no properties available to couple/one parent households with two children through a standard HAP rate.

Most of the available properties are predominantly in Dublin.

17 (85%) of the 20 HAP properties were found across the three Dublin study areas.

Only one of the 13 study areas outside of Dublin had properties available to rent within HAP limits – this area was Kildare (three properties). 

No properties were available to rent within HAP limits in either the March 2026 or June 2026 reports in 12 of the 16 study areas. These include Athlone, Cork City Centre, Cork City Suburbs, Dundalk, Galway City Suburbs, Galway City Centre, Co. Leitrim, Limerick City Suburbs, Limerick City Centre, Sligo, Portlaoise, and Waterford City Centre.  

Leitrim had the lowest number of properties available to rent, with just four properties available across the three days.

Ber Grogan, Executive Director at the Simon Communities of Ireland, says their message has remained the same for over ten years.

"The HAP system needs reform," she said.

"It is almost one year since the Minister confirmed that a review of HAP was underway, yet we are still no clearer on its findings or recommendations. Will Budget 2027 finally deliver the long-awaited increase to HAP limits?

The quarter one 2026 Homeless Progress Report showed that HAP was used less than in the same period last year, either as a homeless prevention measure or as an exit from homelessness.

HAP is not working. People are still locked out of the market. We see and hear this on the ground every single day, across the country. People are being discriminated against. There is one short-term solution that would make an immediate difference - increase the HAP limits."