Social housing wait lists 'don't show the full story' as 8,786 await homes in Cork

Waiting lists for social housing don't show the full story, and there may be more than twice as many people awaiting housing in Cork, the Parliamentary Budget Office has said.

Official government figures published earlier this year show a total of 5,055 people in need of social housing in Cork, comprising of 2,810 in Cork city and 2,245 in Cork county. This was a slight decrease from 5,149 awaiting housing in 2023.

This number excludes households whose needs are deemed ‘met’ through schemes such as the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme. Hap is a social housing support scheme where local authorities pay part of the rental cost directly to private landlords, with tenants paying a contribution based on their income.

But a recently-published analysis by the Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO) shows that a total of 8,145 households were recorded on social housing waiting lists in Cork in 2024. This comprises 4,359 people in Cork city and 3,786 people in Cork county, which is a 61% increase on previously published figures.

This higher figure captures the full number of households still registered with local authorities and seeking permanent social housing, including those in temporary or insecure arrangements.

The PBO report states that when planning the type and location of social housing, local authorities and the Department of Housing use the “unmet need” criteria as a key guide.

“This figure reflects the number of eligible households on local authority waiting lists whose housing needs are not met. It excludes households already in local authority housing and those supported by the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP), as these are considered to have their needs met.” 

The PBO argues that HAP tenancies, being private rental agreements, lack the security of tenure provided by local authority housing. Therefore, these households still have an ongoing need for social housing, the Office states.

The PBO noted that an Ombudsman investigation into HAP in 2025 highlighted similar concerns, including the absence of security of tenure for HAP households compared to other social housing tenants, and a lack of transparency in how HAP households are managed on waiting lists.

In Cork, 6,216 were in receipt of HAP, comprising 2,783 in Cork city and 3,433 in Cork county, and the PBO believes that these should be included as in “ongoing need” of housing alongside those officially listed as on social housing waiting lists.

This calculation would bring the total in need of social housing up 123% to 11,271, which is more than twice the figure previously officially reported.

The PBO report stated: “We believe HAP households should be included in planning and monitoring social housing delivery. The PBO introduces the term “ongoing need” to describe households eligible for social housing, but not yet in receipt of it.

“This definition includes both those on Social Housing Waiting Lists (SHWLs) and those receiving HAP. Unlike the official “unmet need” category, which excludes HAP-supported households, ongoing need acknowledges that these households lack a guaranteed right to social housing if their tenancy ends.”