13% Increase In Number Of HAP Tenants In Clare

There’s been a 13% increase in the number of people in Clare in receipt of the Housing Assistance Payment in the past two years.

Figures released by Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy show that there are currently 1,344 tenants in this county relying on the payment as of September.

Clare FM’s James Mulhall reports:

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In total, some 3,812 tenants in Clare were approved for the HAP scheme from the beginning of 2017 to the end of June of this year.

Unsurprisingly, Ennis accounts for the bulk of those – with 629 of the 1,316 payments approved in the first six months of this year alone.

The figures go on to reveal that an additional 28 tenants have come on the HAP scheme between June and September, bringing the current total to 1,344.

This is up from 1,310 in total last year, while it’s a 13% increase on the 2017 cumulative figure of 1,186.

HAP is a form of social housing support for people who have a long-term housing need, where tenants pay a weekly rent contribution to the local authority, based on their income and ability to pay.

The average amount paid out by Clare County Council to HAP landlords has also increased – it’s now €476, up from €430 two years ago.