‘Demographic and Socio-Economic Profile of Applicants for Social Housing and Recipients of Housing Assistance Payment’ is written by Dr Clíodhna Bairéad and Professor Michelle Norris. It examines and compares the profile of households that have qualified for social housing and those in receipt of HAP.
It finds that HAP claimants tend to secure a social housing tenancy faster and in greater numbers than their counterparts on the social housing waiting list. HAP recipients waited an average of 135 weeks before they secured a social housing tenancy, compared to an average waiting time of 286 weeks for social housing applicants.
The most significant influence on HAP claimants’ faster and greater access to social housing is likely due to their household size matching the size of social rented dwellings available. The HAP claimant population contains a higher proportion of larger households (three or more people) compared to households on the social housing waiting list, a majority of whom are one-person households. Most of the existing social housing stock is suitable for larger households.
The report also finds that for a significant minority of applicants, their acute housing needs remain unmet for far longer than the norm. This cohort comprises primarily of working age, mainly male, single person applicant households. Applicants in this category tend to have uniformly low incomes, indicating that they are primarily reliant on social security benefits and rarely have income from employment. The numbers in this category on the social housing waiting list have increased significantly in recent years with the report suggesting this is likely because they wait longer to secure a social housing tenancy due to the lack of suitable housing available.
The report’s authors say their analysis highlights the need to ensure that the size of dwellings provided better matches the size of households on the social housing waiting list.
Read the full report here