COMHAIRLE CONTAE ÁTHA CLIATH THEAS
SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

MEETING OF SOUTH DUBLIN COUNTY COUNCIL

Monday, September 09, 2019

QUESTION NO. 25

QUESTION: Councillor K. Mahon

The Council conducts regular Housing Needs Assessments of those on the Local Authority housing list. Can the Chief Executive clarify the procedure for those on HAP who may, having taken up employment, have moved over the threshold to qualify for local authority housing?

REPLY:

Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) is a form of social housing support provided through a national shared service centre in Limerick for all local authorities. Under HAP, local authorities can provide housing assistance to households with a long-term housing need (including many long-term Rent Supplement recipients) while the system also allows tenants to retain their housing support even if their income changes.

When a housing applicant enters the HAP scheme, they can apply to be included on the HAP transfer list giving them access to CBL using their original date of approval for social housing.  When an offer of social housing is made to an applicant from the HAP transfer list, their income is not reassessed for eligibility but they are subject to other appropriate checks including rent, estate management, family composition etc. - similar to any tenant transferring from one Council rented dwelling to another.  Similarly, existing HAP tenants can also directly move from one HAP tenancy to another with approval.  However, if a HAP tenant leaves the HAP scheme and reapplies for HAP assistance after a length of time, their social housing need (including income) is reassessed.