The number of active Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) scheme properties in the state fell by 4.3% to 58,048 as of 31 December 2022, from the same date in 2021.
By Local Electoral Area (LEA), the number of HAP properties at the end of 2022 ranged from 32 in Granard in Longford to 1,543 in North Inner City in Dublin. These LEAs also had lowest and highest number of HAP properties in 2020 and 2021.
Of the 166 LEAs in the country, 36 had more than 500 HAP properties at the end of 2022, with just over half of these (19) in Dublin.
The LEA outside of Dublin with the most HAP properties at the end of 2022 was Drogheda Urban in Louth (892), while LEAs in Kerry, Meath, Limerick, Galway, Cork, Wicklow, Waterford, Donegal, and Clare also had more than 500 HAP properties.
More than four-fifths (82.5%) of LEAs had a decrease in HAP properties from 2021 to 2022.
The LEA with the biggest relative increase in HAP properties in 2022 from 2021 was Donaghmede in Dublin up 11.0%, while the largest decrease was in Listowel in Kerry with a 20.2% fall.
Drogheda Urban in Louth and Blanchardstown-Mulhuddart in Dublin had the highest percentage of residential properties as HAP properties at the end of 2022, both with 7.6%.
Stillorgan in Dublin and Granard in Longford had the lowest percentage of residential properties as HAP properties at the end of 2022, both with 0.6%.
North Inner City in Dublin is the LEA with the most HAP properties at the end of 2022 (1,543), followed by Tallaght Central (1,181) and Clondalkin (1,125). Outside of Dublin, the most HAP properties were in Drogheda Urban (892) in Louth. There were 11 counties with LEAs having more than 500 HAP properties. The lowest number of HAP properties were in Stillorgan in Dublin (68), Muinebeag in Carlow (56) and Granard in Longford 32. LEAs with less than 100 HAP properties were spread across 14 different counties. See Map 1.
Only 28 (of 166) LEAs had an increase in HAP properties from 2021 to 2022. This increase was greater than 5% in Milford in Donegal (5.1%), Loughrea in Galway (6.3%), Kenmare in Kerry (6.6%), Killarney in Kerry (8.7%) and Donaghmede in Dublin (11.0%). There was a decrease in HAP properties for 137 LEAs. The relative fall was greatest for Listowel in Kerry (20.2%), Wexford in Wexford (19.4%) and Birr in Offaly (18.4%). See Map 2.
The map below details the number of HAP properties as a percentage of the number of residential properties in each LEA at the end of 2022 (based on Eircodes, see map footnote for details).
There were 26 LEAs where this percentage was 4% or more, spread over 12 different counties. The LEAs which had the highest percentage of residential properties as HAP properties were Drogheda Urban and Blanchardstown-Mulhuddart, both with 7.6%. See Map 3.
Figure 1, below, shows the number HAP properties at the end of each year from 2015 to 2022 for a selection of LEAs - those with the most properties over different years. This shows that both the levels and trend over time vary by LEA.
While Limerick City West had the most HAP properties at the end of 2015 and Letterkenny was highest for 2016, Dublin LEAs have had the most HAP properties in recent years.
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Statistician's Comment
The Central Statistics Office (CSO) has today (23 June 2023) published Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) Properties by Local Electoral Area 2022.
Commenting on the release, Justin Anderson, Statistician, said: “The number of properties which at the end of 2022 had tenants in receipt of Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) varies significantly across the 166 Local Electoral Areas (LEAs). It ranged from 32 such properties in Granard in Longford to 1,543 in North Inner City in Dublin.
There were 36 LEAs which had more than 500 HAP properties at the end of 2022, with half of these LEAs in Dublin. Outside of Dublin the most HAP properties were in Drogheda Urban in Louth and there were also LEAs in Kerry, Meath, Limerick, Galway, Cork, Wicklow, Waterford, Donegal, and Clare with more than 500 HAP properties. Nationally there were 58,048 HAP properties at the end of 2022, down 4.3% from 60,630 at the end of 2021.
More than four-fifths of LEAs (82.5% - 137 areas) saw a decrease in HAP properties from 2021 to 2022. The biggest increase in such properties was in Donaghmede in Dublin up 11.0%, while the largest decrease was in Listowel in Kerry with a 20.2% fall.
When looking at the number of HAP properties as a percentage of all residential properties in an LEA, Drogheda Urban in Louth and Blanchardstown-Mulhuddart in Dublin (both 7.6%) were the highest in 2022. The lowest were Stillorgan in Dublin and Granard in Longford (both 0.6%).
This publication - and associated data tables - will be updated to also include for 2022 the number of HAP properties as a percentage of all rental properties when this data is available to the CSO from the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB).
Data are also available detailing HAP properties at Electoral Division (ED) level. Breakdown of HAP properties by LEA and ED are facilitated by the increasing use of Eircodes in the HAP system. The Eircode is a key component of the National Data Infrastructure (NDI) which plays an integral part in facilitating the CSO to develop new and improved statistical products for the benefit of the citizen and policymakers."