The number of properties available via the Housing Assistance Payment Scheme (HAP) in East Waterford has fallen.
Nationally - There has been a year-on-year increase in the number of Housing Assistance Payment scheme properties listed across half of all Local Electoral Areas from 2020 to 2021.
The HAP scheme is a social housing support which sees local authorities paying landlords of private accommodation on behalf of tenants, who pay a rent contribution to them.
Figures released by the Central Statistics Office show that the number of HAP properties listed in four local electoral areas in Waterford fell year-on-year.
There are currently 1,854 HAP properties available in County Waterford - the vast majority of which are in the Tramore / Waterford City West LEA (38.7% - 717).
The lowest amount of properties are in Lismore, at 103 - although the area has seen an 8.4% increase in the number of HAP homes available over the past 12 months.
Figures fell by 9% in Portlaw / Kilmacthomas (111); 8.7% in Waterford City South (452); 7.7% in Waterford City East (299) and although Tramore / City West had the most properties of any LEA - the quantity still decreased by 6.5%.
In terms of HAP as a percentage of all properties available per LEA - again, the majority of properties were in the Tramore / Waterford City West District.
- Dungarvan - 1.9%
- Lismore - 2.1%
- Portlaw / Kilmacthomas - 1.6%
- Tramore / Waterford City West - 6.6%
- Waterford City East - 3.0%
- Waterford City South - 4.1%
Nationally, North Inner City in Dublin is the LEA with the most (1,586) HAP homes at the end of 2021 while Granard, Longford, is the LEA with the least (40).
Responding to the figures, Fine Gael Senator and Party Spokesman on Housing, John Cummins - said:
"HAP is private rented accommodation - so there’s a squeeze in the private rental sector at present with many landlords selling. That’s reflected in the reducing HAP properties. Also, on the other side - more and more council properties are being provided with people coming off HAP and into council properties."
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