Threshold protects 320 Cork households from homelessness in three months

THE national housing charity Threshold protected 320 households from homelessness in Cork city and county in the first three months of the year.

Cork city Sinn Féin councillor Eolan Ryng described the numbers needing the support of the organisation as “extremely worrying”.

“It reflects the situation I’m seeing in terms of an increase in people contacting me who have been served with notices to quit,” he said.

“The reality is that the emergency situation we are seeing in housing now, has been building for over a decade. 

"Behind the numbers lie real people suffering extreme pressures and stress. 

"Threshold and other agencies are doing incredible work, but the truth is that more is required from central Government.”

Landlords leaving sector

Nationally, Threshold supported 1,582 adults and 1,002 children to stay in their homes or secure alternative housing. Threshold reports that thousands of landlords have left the sector in recent years, resulting in an “ever-shrinking pool of properties for rent, increasing the risk of homelessness for those being evicted”.

Threshold said it is “deeply concerned” about this issue and has urged Government to take action to keep landlords in the sector, in particular the smaller landlords who provide most rental homes in Ireland.

Threshold advisers noted increased levels of stress and anxiety among private renters who called about a tenancy termination or to enquire about the possibility of being evicted. This has an impact on the tenant’s ability to address issues within the tenancy, for example making the decision to challenge a rent review.

Threshold chief executive John-Mark McCafferty said the problem is a growing one.

“Our advisers have also noted that private renters have become more accepting of invalid rent increases, as they have no other housing options available to them. 

"In fact, 60% of rent review notices brought to Threshold in this quarter were invalid,” he said.

Threshold said the challenges faced by private renters are compounded by the increased cost of living. In quarter-one figures, rent affordability was the primary reason for renters falling into rent arrears, followed by a reduction in earnings.

Of those struggling to afford rent, six out of 10 were in receipt of a social welfare payment. Threshold recommends a number of policy changes to assist private renters to pay their rent and address rent arrears.

These include an increase in the housing assistance payment limits, the provision of a rent arrears fund, and a change to the legislation on rent arrears.

In this quarter, 39% of clients assisted were aged 35 and over.

“This strongly suggests that renting is no longer the transitional tenure it once was, but that people are renting for longer and some people are doing so for life,” said Mr McCafferty.

“This raises concerns over people’s long-term security and ability to afford rent as they age.

“Steps have been taken to increase security of tenure through the creation of indefinite tenancies, however, more is required.”