Scale of rent rises by landlords a ‘moral issue’, says Kelly

The scale of rent increases sought by some landlords is a "moral issue", said Minister for the Environment Alan Kelly.

Speaking at the publication of the first annual report from the Dublin Tenancy Protection Service, he said he had “huge concerns regarding the levels of some rent increases” and their contribution to the numbers of low-income households losing their homes.

Mr Kelly is expected to bring proposals on a rent-certainty to Cabinet soon.

He also said he wanted the Tenancy Protection Service, operated by housing charity Threshold, to extend beyond its current catchment of Dublin and Cork. The report says that since its inception in July 2014, the Dublin office has protected almost 900 households – of 2,808 people, including 1,625 children.

Emergency legislation

The service, supported by the Dublin Region Homeless Executive (DRHE), operates a protocol with the

Department of Social Protection

whereby it negotiates, on a case-by-case basis, to have a household’s rent supplement increased if they face homelessness due to a rent rise. It has a 99 per cent success rate in preventing homelessness.

Mr Kelly praised its work: “We need to extend where it is operating now and I fully intend to support that.”

He said he would “if necessary . . . bring in emergency legislation” to fast-track the procurement process so the DRHE can move quickly to provide modular housing as temporary accommodation for homeless families, many of whom spend up to two years in hotels.

Humanitarian crisis

“I believe there are times when you have to look at fast-tracking initiatives. I was very impressed with the modular housing. I felt it a very good solution and, from a planning and procurement point of view, if we need to look at dealing with this in a quicker fashion, outside of the norm because of the situation then certainly I’ll be pushing that. If I need to bring in emergency legislation I will do it.”

DRHE data shows that last month 1,275 children in 607 families were in emergency accommodation in Dublin, compared with 640 children in 294 families a year previously.

Mr Kelly agreed, he said, with Dublin Simon on Tuesday when it said this was a “humanitarian crisis”.

“I certainly believe it is,” he said. “Homelessness is always a serious issue and absolutely everything that can be done will be done and is being done.” He said the issue consumed more of his energies as Minister than almost all other issues combined.

However, Dublin Simon, in its annual report said interventions by Government over the past 12 months in the homelessness crisis had had “no impact”.

They said the number of long-term homeless people in the capital was up by 53 per cent and 2,298 people are in emergency accommodation.