Housing shortage crisis: Just 12 properties available to rent in Longford

The property crisis is deepening in county Longford with a lack of availability, skyrocketing prices and a fall in HAP tenancies highlighting the deteriorating situation.

There were just 12 properties available to rent in county Longford on Friday with just four of those houses and eight apartments, according to the Daft.ie website.

The average price of a house in county Longford based on the listings was €1,375, while the average cost of an apartment was €1,188.

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The most expensive property was a two bedroom apartment in Longford town advertised for €1,600.

Those on low incomes face an uphill task to find a house or apartment.

Longford County Council confirmed that on April 21 last there were 243 households availing of the Housing Assistance Payment Scheme (HAP), the social housing support for people who have a long-term housing need, in County Longford.

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That is a significant 28% fall in the number of HAP tenancies compared to less than two years ago when there were 339 households availing of HAP in county Longford in June 2023.

The majority of HAP tenancies on offer are in the capital with the numbers in regional towns and rural areas plummeting in recent years.

Longford Westmeath Sinn Féin TD Sorca Clarke said there is a significant crisis for many people and that is particularly acute for people on low incomes.

"The issues with HAP and the number of people availing of it is actually a reflection of the problems within the scheme itself.

" Of all the schemes that have come out to provide housing through the private market for people on the social housing list there is no way other to say that HAP is categorically the worst that has ever existed.

Deputy Clarke said one of the properties listed on Daft.ie, an average two bedroom apartment is priced at €1,250 per month.

"If a person is on a low income or low enough that they would be eligible for social housing to be able to get properties when the rental prices are that high.

"If you are going to spend 30% of your income and you take that and you add on the HAP allowance it does not come anywhere near €1,250.

"If you are a single person and you are looking for a property to live in utilising HAP €1,250 is just way out of what would be passed by HAP.

"So affordability is a key thing but it's a huge challenge and so is availability.

"I am not randomly picking the most expensive one for rent in Longford, there are some that are priced at €1,600 per month.

Deputy Clarke said action is urgently needed to deliver affordable housing but she believes making changes to the HAP scheme will have little impact.

"Reforming HAP or trying to improve it is counterproductive when you do not have affordable properties.

"The focus needs to be on affordable housing and they need to be genuinely affordable and whether that is delivered through a local authority or it's delivered through an approved housing body it's key," she added.

Deputy Clarke said if a landlord is renting a two bedroom property for 1,250 per month and 20 to 30 people come to view it a low income earner with HAP is facing an uphill struggle.

"The person in receipt of HAP in my experience is less likely to be offered the tenancy than somebody who is not in receipt of HAP and that goes back to the criteria associated with that scheme."

The Simon Communities of Ireland said the number of properties available under the HAP Scheme has fallen nationally since December 2024 with just 41 properties in 16 areas available within the discretionary HAP rate.

The report found 31 of the 41 properties available to rent under HAP were located in Dublin, where the discretionary rate allows up to an additional 50% on the standard rate compared to 35% elsewhere.

Longford County Council said the scheme continues to assist people and it plays a key role in supporting eligible households to access accommodation in the private rental sector.