Richard Boyd Barrett urges urgent review of social housing income limits
Richard Boyd Barrett asked the government to urgently review social housing income limits, arguing that many households are excluded from support. He said people on the working family payment or earning between about €40,000 and €50,000 are caught between thresholds and unable to access social housing or cost rental.
Richard Boyd Barrett called for an immediate review of the income ceilings that determine eligibility for social housing. He warned the situation is "getting worse and worse and worse" and urged the government to raise the limits as a matter of urgency.
He highlighted people receiving the working family payment who are knocked off social housing lists because the payment pushes them over the threshold. He said many of those households still earn too little to qualify for cost rental, creating a gap affecting those earning around €40,000-€50,000 a year.
The minister acknowledged the category Barrett described and committed to look at it. The minister also reported housing supply figures, saying 50,684 social houses were added to the social housing stock between July 2020 and the end of quarter two of this year, and that nearly 13,000-14,000 homes were brought back into use on the divides programme.
The minister said there are about 26,000-plus social homes at various stages of design and build and that eligibility thresholds "will be progressively increased." The minister framed the ongoing work as a continuation of a ramp-up in social housing construction begun in 2020, with further increases planned over the next number of years.
Call to review social housing income limits
Richard Boyd Barrett called for an immediate review of the income ceilings that determine eligibility for social housing. He warned the situation is "getting worse and worse and worse" and urged the government to raise the limits as a matter of urgency.
Households caught between supports
He highlighted people receiving the working family payment who are knocked off social housing lists because the payment pushes them over the threshold. He said many of those households still earn too little to qualify for cost rental, creating a gap affecting those earning around €40,000-€50,000 a year.
Government response and housing supply figures
The minister acknowledged the category Barrett described and committed to look at it. The minister also reported housing supply figures, saying 50,684 social houses were added to the social housing stock between July 2020 and the end of quarter two of this year, and that nearly 13,000-14,000 homes were brought back into use on the divides programme.
Plans for eligibility thresholds and ongoing building
The minister said there are about 26,000-plus social homes at various stages of design and build and that eligibility thresholds "will be progressively increased." The minister framed the ongoing work as a continuation of a ramp-up in social housing construction begun in 2020, with further increases planned over the next number of years.
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Transcript
I want to ask the government to urgently review social housing income limits. The situation is getting worse and worse and worse. Biggest phenomena now, or one of the biggest phenomenons coming across is people who are on working family payment, a payment that is given to people precisely because they don't have enough income to live, getting the payment and then being knocked off the list because it takes them over the threshold. It's unbelievable. People who are just then knocked over that are also, in most cases, their income is too low for them to be able to avail of cost rental because it has to be less than 35% of their income. So there's a whole group of people now between about €40,000 and €50,000 a year who are just entitled to no social housing, no housing support at all. They're knocked off the list because they have working family payment or get a little pay rise or whatever, but their income is too low to pay the rents for cost rental. So they're nowhere. So those social housing income limits must be reviewed upwards as a matter of urgency. Mr. Chair, to respond. I'll talk to the Minister of respect. We did increase it in the last government. I would make the point that between July of 2020 and the end of quarter two of this year, 50,684 social houses have been added to the social housing stock. That is way, way ahead of anything that was ever done in the previous 20 years. No, it is an important point to acknowledge, you know. And then about 13,000, nearly 14,000 homes were brought back into use on the divides programme. So we're reaching levels of social housing build and provision now that we hadn't seen since the 1970s. And that's good, and we need to continue to do that, and we will continue to do it. There's about 26,000-plus social homes at all stages of design and build in Ireland at the end. And that's dealing with those on the list already. But we will look at that category that you've spoken about in terms of wider working family payment or those who may not be able to avail of cost ranking. And there is a category there I accept. But, I mean, when we started in 2020, we had to substantially ramp up construction and supply of social housing, which we have done, and we now have at a consistent level. Thank you, Tisha. And we will increase that over the next number of years also. Thank you. And then there's the eligibility threshold issue, which will be progressively increased. And that concludes questions on policy area.