Survey finds 95% of homes for rent too high for rent allowance

More than 13,000 social houses were delivered last year, according to a new Government report to be published on Tuesday.

Minister for the Environment Alan Kelly will bring a memo to Cabinet outlining the progress made in the first year of the Social Housing Strategy. As part of the Government plan, 35,000 houses are to be built between 2015 and 2020, at a cost of €3.8 billion to the State.

He will also announce €180 million for the construction of 1,000 new units of social housing.

Meanwhile, a survey published on Tuesday finds almost all homes for rent across Ireland are too expensive for people on rent allowance. The Simon Communities report found 95 per cent of all properties surveyed were “beyond the reach” of those in receipt of housing supports.

The survey, of all properties listed for rent on Daft.ie in 11 locations, was conducted at the end of November. Of the 726 properties surveyed, just 34, or 4.5 per cent, were within rent supplement caps.