Minister for Housing says criticisms of Bill ‘grossly inaccurate’

Minister for Housing, Jan O’Sullivan, has described as “misleading and grossly inaccurate” claims that the new Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) - which is to replace rent supplement across the State from next year - will shut thousands of families out of social housing.

She was responding to growing criticism of the new scheme, the legislation for which is due to complete its final stage in the Dáil tonight.

The final report stage of the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014 resumes from 5.45pm until 7.30pm and will be debated again from 9.45pm with the Dail due to adjourn at 10.30pm.

The most important provision of the Bill is to move responsibility for rent supplement from the Department of Social Protection to the Department of the Environment, via the local authorities and to rename it the HAP.

Some 78,000 households are currently in receipt of rent allowance and, according to data gathered in May last year, there are 89,000 households on the social housing waiting lists.

Other changes include that the HAP will be payable directly to the landlord, whereas the rent supplement is payable to the tenant. Recipients will also be able to take up work whereas currently rent supplement recipients are cannot work.

Critics, among them a number of oppositions TDs, say the Bill will “force thousands of families off the housing lists and into the hands of private landlords”.

They say a provision in the Bill means families will be deemed housed once they are provided with the assistance payment, and will therefore be removed from the social housing list.

They also claim it will be used to drive down number on the social housing lists while leaving tenants “at the mercy” of the private rented sector.

The payment is to be piloted in six local authorities as soon as possible after enactment of the legislation. They are Monaghan, Cork County, Waterford, Louth, Kilkenny and South Dublin County Councils. Dublin City Council is also due to pilot the payment, specifically targeting homeless families in emergency accommodation.

It is scheduled to be rolled out nationally from January 2015.

At a press conference in Dublin this morning, a number of women who have children and are homeless, said the Bill would allow local authorities to “throw” them “off the council waiting lists”.

Gwen Connell, who was evicted some months ago following a 42 per cent rent increase from €900 a month to €1,300m said: “It is shocking how the Bill does exactly the opposite of what’s needed. Rather tha announcing they will build council houses to give security the Minister announced that renting with a landlord and receiving HAP is an ‘appropriate form’ of social housing support.”

Ruth Coppinger, Socialist Party TD, said: “This is a break with any obligation they felt to provide social housing for thousands of working class people who need it.”

Ms O’Sullivan issued a statement in recent hours describing the HAP as “is the most radical reform of social housing support in decades.

“It transforms the system of rent supplement which is widely recognised as not being fit for purpose.”

“Opposition claims that recipients of HAP will be excluded from moving to other forms of social housing – such as traditional local authority housing or units provided by approved housing bodies – are misleading and grossly inaccurate.

“The new system will specifically provide a route for HAP tenants to apply for other social housing options. HAP tenants will exercise this option through inclusion on a transfer list that allows tenants avail of a range of housing options. In allocation schemes adopted when HAP is in place local authorities will make provision to allocate available units to people on the transfer list.”

Opponents of the HAP will protest outside Leinster House at 6 pm.