‘It doesn’t make sense to me’ to have a two-tier HAP payment

“There are people that are on that rate that are on the cusp of losing their apartments.”

Calls have been made for the Government to pay everyone who avails of HAP and Homeless HAP the standard amount.

A housing assistance payment is a payment from a person’s local authority to their landlord.

Two rates exist currently for a single person in the Homeless HAP system – €1215 for those who apply today and €990 for those who had entered the HAP system prior to 2022.

Councillor Kay Keane described the case of a “young girl” who had lived in a rental property since 2017 on Homeless HAP and was issued a notice to quit due to arrears.

Cllr Keane stated: “She works 40-plus hours a week but can’t afford the yearly increases on the rent.

“She is currently receiving €990 homeless HAP which has not increased since 2017, despite her landlord increasing the rent yearly.”

Rates were changed due to increasing rents in the country but those on the previous rate did not get provided with an upgrade.

On top of this, rents are currently allowed to go up to 35 per cent above standard HAP rent limits.

The Tallaght councillor noted that the story of the young person comes at a time when homelessness figures regularly achieve all-time highs.

The current emergency accommodation figure sits at 15,747, with figures reaching over 16,000 earlier in 2025.

“In phone calls to the DRH, I was told it is not the policy, but if this young girl wanted to leave the apartment and basically become homeless due to the NTQ, she could avail of the higher rate of homeless HAP, which is €1,215.”

As of May 2025, 1,851 people under 24 are accessing emergency accommodation across Ireland.

Other councillors weighed in on the topic, including Councillor Paddy Holohan who noted his shock.

Cllr Holohan said: “The idea that you need to be punished to be processed – it just makes no sense to me.”

Cllr Keane contacted the homeless section of Dublin City Council to see what could be done on their end.

However, she was informed that there was nothing they could do and the young girl’s rate would remain the same.

Cllr Keane concluded: “It doesn’t make sense to me that there is a two-tier Homeless HAP payment…

“… ‘Make yourself homeless and you’ll get the higher rate’ – it’s ridiculous.”

Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.