A quarterly survey by the Simon Community has found that there have been virtually no rental properties available in Athlone under the government’s Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) social housing scheme over the past two years.

The HAP rent cap for a single person or a family with up to three children is between €450 and €650 in Westmeath and between €360 and €550 in Roscommon. However, municipalities have the discretion to exceed these rent caps by up to 35 percent in individual cases.

Simon Community’s quarterly “Locked Out” report, which began in December 2022, is designed to provide a snapshot of the number of HAP-eligible properties available for rent over a three-day period every three months.

It found that on the dates examined so far in 2024, not a single property in Athlone was available to rent that was within either the standard HAP limits or the higher discretionary rental payment amounts.

In a three-day survey in June this year (17-19 June), an average of 17 residential properties were offered for rent each day in Athlone, but none of these were within the HAP boundaries.

The report found that a one-bedroom apartment in Athlone was being offered for rent for €1,500 a month, while monthly rents for two-bedroom apartments in the city ranged from €1,000 to €2,000.

Monthly rents for three-bedroom apartments in Athlone, advertised from 17 to 19 June, ranged from €1,550 to €2,500.

The report examined 16 areas across Ireland and found a total of 1,178 rental properties, but only 43 of these were within the HAP boundaries.

Since the Simon Community Locked Out surveys began almost two years ago, only one property in Athlone has been found to be available for rent within the HAP boundaries – a single property that was offered for rent in September last year.

The latest report includes a quote from John, one of the people currently “locked out”: “The pressure from landlords is enormous. They demand high rents and expect us to overlook the substandard living conditions.”

“You have the choice to accept inadequate housing or risk homelessness. The system is broken.”

Athlone Councillor Paul Hogan expressed concern about the almost complete lack of available HAP properties locally.

“It is very concerning that there are no properties available under the HAP program in Athlone,” said Councillor Hogan. “This is affecting many families who need help with housing because there are currently no homes available and people are being forced to live in overcrowded accommodation.”

“We also need to invest more in homelessness prevention and provide more support for those who are homeless or at risk of homelessness to ensure the physical and mental health impacts of homelessness are addressed.

“The latest homelessness figures show a record number of households accessing homeless services. The monthly homelessness report for June 2024 shows that 14,303 people accessed emergency accommodation, an increase of 144 (1%) compared to May this year.

“In June, 9,899 single adults and 2,093 families were in emergency shelters, including 4,404 children under the age of 18,” said Councilman Hogan.