Social housing limits set to expand in Offaly

The income limits that are in place to get onto Offaly County Council's social housing waiting list, or to avail of the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) in the county, look set to be raised in the new year.

The move, which will increase the number of people eligible for housing support from the local authority, is expected to be officially announced in December before coming into effect at the start of January.

Cllr Tony McCormack said that he and other local Fianna Fáil councillors met with Housing Minister Darragh O'Brien in Tullamore yesterday (Thursday) and that the Minister had given a commitment to expand the eligibility limits in Offaly for social housing.

The changes are likely see the HAP and social housing income limits for a single person being increased from €25,000 to €30,000, while the income limit for a family will go from €30,000 to €35,000.

Cllr McCormack welcomed the change, saying it was something he had been seeking for some time. He said it would bring Offaly into line with income limit thresholds already in place in neighbouring counties such as Laois, Kildare and Westmeath.

He added that the Minister had also given a commitment to supporting the development of an affordable housing scheme for the Tullamore area.

Cllr McCormack said the Government's 'Housing for All' plan had made a positive difference but that the cost of living crisis, and the war in Ukraine, had been adding to existing pressures around the supply of new housing.

"We need to make sure that the social housing supply being built at the moment doesn't dry up, because there's a huge slowdown in the amount of houses being started right around the country, and we're no different here in Tullamore," said Cllr McCormack.

"We need people to be able to get onto the property ladder, so we I think we need some sort of subsidy either for the developer or for the first-time buyer in order to make that happen."