Homelessness

If you are experiencing homelessness, or worried you may become homeless, there are supports available. You may have been served an eviction notice at your rental accommodation or had to move out of your home because of a relationship breakdown. You may be staying with family or friends without a permanent residence for you or your children. Information on options available to you is available here.

You can also contact the Tenancy Protection Service provided by Threshold. This is a national service providing advice and support to individuals, couples and families living in private rented accommodation experiencing tenancy problems and where a tenancy is at risk. The service seeks to protect your tenancy, keep you in your home and prevent you from having to access homeless services.

If you own your home, have difficulty paying your mortgage and are in serious mortgage arrears on your home you may be able to access the Abhaile scheme for borrowers in home mortgage arrears. This scheme provides a range of services to help you to deal with your situation, including financial advice, legal advice and insolvency advice. The service is provided by the Money Advice & Budgeting Service and you can find out more information.

Extra supports for families in emergency accommodation:

Children under the age of 5 whose parents are homeless (or are moving from homelessness to permanent accommodation) can get free childcare for up to 25 hours a week. This includes 15 hours of free pre-school (ECCE) where children qualify, or school hours. It also includes a daily meal. Parents should not be asked to pay any top–up or co-payment for these part-time hours.

Free public transport may also be available for families living in emergency accommodation to cover their school journeys and family travel. This is offered on a case by case basis by city and county councils and is not guaranteed.

The First Home Scheme

The First Home Scheme (FHS) is an affordable housing scheme, which supports people to buy new homes. The FHS is a shared equity scheme, where the State and participating banks pay up to 30% of the cost of your new home in return for a stake in the home. The scheme is available nationwide for first-time buyers and certain other people who want to buy a new home but can’t afford to. Your income is not assessed for the FHS.

Learn more here

Local Authority Home Loans

A Local Authority Home Loan is a Government backed mortgage for first time buyers and Fresh Start applicants through local authorities. The loan is a normal capital and interest-bearing mortgage which is repaid by direct debit monthly. The scheme is for the purchase of new or second-hand residential properties and for self-builds.

The Fresh Start principle means that applicants who have;

Gone through personal insolvency or bankruptcy arrangement or proceedings
or are divorced, legally separated/separated or the relationship has ended and have no financial interest in the family home are eligible to apply under this scheme.

If you are applying as a Fresh Start applicant because your relationship has ended, you will need documents as proof of this. For example;

If you are separated or divorced you will need proof of the divorce or separation, as well as evidence that you have no financial interest in the family home and details of any maintenance arrangement.
If your relationship has ended but there is no divorce or separation agreement, you will need a sworn statement. This should state that there is no formal separation agreement, you have no financial interest in the family home, there are no court proceedings pending under family law legislation, and details about any maintenance arrangements.

Note: The Local Authority Home Loan cannot be used by fresh start applicants to buy their former partner’s share of their family home.

If you are applying as a secondary applicant, you must have been in continuous employment for a minimum of 1 year. However, secondary applicants on certain long-term social welfare payments including the widow’s, widower’s or surviving civil partner’s pension may be considered.

More information on the Local Authority Home Loan, including the full eligibility criteria is available at the link below.

Learn more here

The Help to Buy Scheme

The Help to Buy (HTB) incentive is a scheme for first-time property buyers. It will help you with the deposit you need to buy or build a new home. You must buy or build the property to live in as your home.

The incentive will give you a refund of Income Tax and Deposit Interest Retention Tax (DIRT) that you paid in Ireland. The refund will be from the four years prior to making the application. You can get further information from Revenue.

Further Information

Buying A Property

Buying a home is a big step for any person or family and it can be particularly challenging for people parenting alone with only one income coming into the household. Below you will find information on supports that may be available to help you purchase a property.

The Help to Buy Scheme

Local Authority Home Loans

The First Home Scheme

Local Authority or Social Housing

Local authorities (or housing authorities) are the main providers of social housing for people who cannot afford their own accommodation. Local authority housing is allocated according to eligibility and need. Rents are based on the household’s ability to pay.

The first step is to apply to the local authority for housing, they will consider whether you are eligible first of all and if so then you may be assessed as to your housing need.

The main criteria for assessment are that your household income is below a set maximum threshold and also that you do not have suitable alternative accommodation.

Alternative accommodation may be considered as such if you have a property that you could live in, even if you currently do not because it is rented out.

A property will not be regarded as alternative accommodation if it is occupied by someone who is divorced or separated from a member of the household, or whose civil partnership with a household member has been dissolved. A couple does not have to be judicially separated in order for this to apply. A deed of separation is sufficient.

There are extensive waiting lists for social housing but if you are considered as in housing need by a local authority then you may be able to apply for Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) to help towards the cost of renting a house privately.

Some voluntary housing providers provide social housing and tenants must usually be registered as in housing need with their local authority to be eligible for voluntary housing. Some housing associations provide housing for certain target groups such as the elderly or people with disabilities whilst others provide for general needs housing.

Useful Links

Housing Assistance Payment

HAP Rent Reviews- July 2023

Focus Ireland have developed a very helpful online form that allows people receiving Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) to request that their HAP payment is reviewed due to rent increases, threat of eviction, rent top ups to your landlord etc.

You just need to choose your local authority from the list and then add your personal details to the template email before sending.

Online Form:

https://focus.agitate.ie/act/you-are-one-step-closer-to-apply-for-more-help-fro/

From July 9th, local authorities can pay up to 35% over the official HAP monthly threshold. Previously this discretion was limited to 20%.

Further information is available here: https://www.focusireland.ie/knowledge-hub/campaigns/are-you-struggling-and-on-hap/

If you don’t qualify for Rent Supplement, then you can apply for the Housing Assistance Payment.

To qualify for HAP, a household must be qualified for social housing support by their local authority, which means the household must qualify to go on the local authority housing waiting list. You can apply through the housing section of your local county or city council.
HAP tenants must find their own accommodation in the private rented market. (This is the same as the current Rent Supplement scheme.)
The landlord must agree to rent their property to the HAP tenant. A landlord cannot discriminate against you if you are in receipt or seeking assistance in paying your rent through Rent Supplement or Housing Assistance Payment (HAP).Some examples of discrimination include using terms such as ‘rent supplement not accepted’, ‘professionals only’ in property ads; refusing to allow a person to view a property or let to them because they are in receipt of rent supplement, housing assistance or other social welfare payment, ending a tenancy or not renewing an agreement because they are in receipt of rent supplement, housing assistance or other social welfare payment.
The local authority will make a monthly payment to the landlord. The payment is subject to terms and conditions including rent limits, and that the HAP tenant pays their rent contribution to the local authority.
This rent contribution is based on your household income. It is calculated in the same way as the rent paid by a tenant of a local authority owned property using the differential rent scheme applicable to that local authority. Check with your local authority for the details of their differential rent scheme.
Under the HAP scheme you can take up full-time employment and keep your housing support. If your income increases so does your rent contribution, and if your income decreases, the weekly rent contribution decreases accordingly. You will have to notify the local authority of any changes in your income or household size, so that your rent contribution can be recalculated.
Once your HAP tenancy commences, your housing needs have now been met under HAP and you will no longer be on the local authority’s housing waiting list. However, if you still want to be considered for local authority housing or housing provided by a housing association, you can apply to the local authority to be placed on the transfer list.
If you do apply for a transfer within 2 weeks of getting the letter confirming your HAP payment, any time that you spent on the housing list can be taken into account when your local authority considers your application. If you apply for a transfer at a later date, the time that you previously spent on the housing waiting list won’t count.

Further Information

Rent Supplement

Rent Supplement is a means-tested payment for certain people living in private rented accommodation who cannot provide for the cost of their accommodation from their own resources.

In the past, you could apply for Rent Supplement if you qualified for social housing support and were on the local authority’s housing list. However, people in this situation should now apply for the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP). People getting Rent Supplement and who have a long-term housing need are gradually being transfer to HAP. HAP will eventually replace long-term Rent Supplement.

Rent Supplement is now only available to people renting who meet specific criteria.

To qualify for Rent Supplement, the officer dealing with your case must be satisfied that, at the time of application, that you are in a bona fide tenancy and:

Were previously in receipt of a Rent Supplement payment within 12 months of the date of application or
Were residing in private rented accommodation (where at the commencement of the tenancy the person could have reasonably afforded the rent and has experienced a substantial change in his or her circumstances where they are now unable to pay the rent) for a period of 183 days within the preceding 12 months of the date of claim for Rent Supplement
Rent Supplement is also available for those persons who have been residing for 183 days or more during the 12 months immediately before the application in an institution or accommodation for homeless persons and have not been determined as qualified for social housing support by a housing authority

Access to Rent Supplement for victims of domestic violence

A protocol to assist victims of domestic violence has been established between the Department of Social Protection and Tusla. Under this protocol, if you are a victim of domestic violence you will be able to apply for Rent Supplement on referral by Tusla or by Tusla-funded service providers.

Where an application is made, Rent Supplement will be provided for an initial three months and will not require a means test. You will only be required to pay a minimum contribution towards your rent, regardless of your means, for this period.

Funding to support Care Leavers and members of the Traveller and Roma Communities to access third level education

If you are an adult leaver of the care system and/or a member of the Traveller or Roma community and planning to embark on further or higher education, financial support may be available to help with student accommodation expenses.

Funding has been secured for an apprenticeship bursary scheme for this cohort also. This will ensure a student in care and members of the Traveller and Roma Communities who wish to choose an apprenticeship will have access to financial supports. The bursary will be €3,000 each.

Further Information

Last modified: 6th February 2024

Renting a Property

Deciding on a property to rent is a big decision and affordability is usually a key factor for renters. Below you will find information on supports that may be available to help you to rent a home.

Rent Supplement

Housing Assistance Payment

Local Authority or Social Housing

Housing

You will find information below on housing options available and how to access supports to rent or buy a home. You will also find information on what possible steps to take if you are facing or experiencing homelessness.

Renting a property

Find information on payments and finance, including how child maintenance is assessed.

Buying a property

Read articles offering support on parenting alone, sharing parenting, or separating.

Homelessness

Learn what needs to be decided when a relationship ends and what a Separation Agreement means.