Working Poor in Leitrim need to see threshold raised for social housing

The working poor is what Cathaoirleach Cllr Justin Warnock called those who are unable to qualify for social housing despite modest incomes.
He was speaking at the latest Manorhamilton municipal district meeting.
He said there are a number of young families in rental accommodation in Manorhamilton MD and throughout Leitrim (The Working Poor) who don't qualify for social housing because their income is just above the €30,000 income threshold.
He asked that the council write to the Minister for Housing Darragh O'Brien TD and ask to have this threshold increased to €35,000 immediately.
He continued: “We have a situation where you might €200 above the €30,000 and can't get in. In Leitrim County Council, there are grade 3 staff and they start out at around €26,000 and grade 4 start out at €29,500. The clerical staff with an Garda Síochána are on between €25,000 and €30,000.”
He said that a family of four need €3,500 a month just to survive and “that's not the rent; rents have gone up here by €500 up €1,000 and €1,200 in this county in the last couple of years and yet the income threshold has not been raised. They are the working poor and we've turned our backs on them.”
He said that assistance out there is only for those “on very substantial incomes and that's not good enough. A young person, it costs between €1,000 and €1,500 before the rent per month and when you pay the rent, what have you got left? Eating beans.”
Cllr Mary Bohan seconded the motion and noted that “you wouldn't have a chance of getting a mortgage on that income unless you had two people with substantially greater incomes so you can't get a mortgage and then also can't get local authority income so you are in limbo.”
She said it's an “unfair system” which “stops people being able to get on the property ladder.”
Cllr Sean McDermott also supported the motion as did Cllr Padraig Fallon who said the situation was “dire” and “we have individuals and families who can't even avail of HAP and there were recent reports that there are no HAP properties available in Sligo or Leitrim.”
He added that he believed the council “should be writing to Minister Darragh O'Brien for his resignation.”