More incentive needed to encourage Leitrim landlords to enter HAP scheme - Fallon

A Leitrim councillors said that property owners need to be offered more incentive to engage in schemes such as the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP). 

There were no HAP properties available for rent in Leitrim in June and there are only 32 properties were available to rent for HAP tenants in 16 parts of the country last month, the Locked Out of the Market Report by Simon Communities reported this week.

Cllr Padraig Fallon said one of the big issues facing Leitrim is that there are very few houses on the market to start with. 

The Accommodation Recognition Payment (ARP) under the Ukrainian Accommodation Scheme in Ireland is tax-free monthly payment of €600 per property provided to host refugees from Ukraine who have arrived under the EU Temporary Protection Directive. This payment is exempt from income tax, USC, and PRSI. 

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He continued: "The question has to be asked how so many houses were made available under that scheme but the owners of those properties weren't interested in HAP."

He said with houses prices on the rise significantly in Leitrim, rent is mirroring these costs. "I think it's all about incentives for those who have properties to rent. They need to be offered the same tax breaks and that needs to be across the schemes and it needs to be asked why that wasn't put in place prior." 

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He said that has has "constituents who are checking for HAP properties all the time" before adding that "estate agents don't even need to advertise; most will have a list as long as your arm of individuals that are in and out to them wondering if they have properties."

He stated that council's "housing acquisitions are going to be down; we know that as are Tenant in situ. Housing completions are going to be down this year compared to last year; there's no doubt about that."

Cllr Fallon Tenant said that he believed housing targets in the county should be higher after new figures show that Leitrim reached 98% of its overall housing target between 2022 and 2024 with 80 out of 82 social homes due to be built, completed.

He said he believed targets are too low in the first place. 

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He concluded: "When a county like Leitrim reaches their targets, they need to be giving them more funds to purchase more. I've seen a number of housing projects and builds that ready to go; the funding was pulled. If they can at all, they need to keep those developments going because it is the only way forward. Material costs are rising all the time and a number of builders told me recently that timber went up again by 20%. The government pausing projects; the costs will only increase so it's very counterproductive."