1.
Summary of Social Housing
Needs Assessment
Daragh McCarthy, Researcher
22 February 2017
NERI Seminar
www.housingagency.ie

2.
www.housingagency.ie
Demand and Need
2

3.
www.housingagency.ie
Max qualifying income bands
3
Lowest
Band
Middle
Band
Highest
Band

4.
www.housingagency.ie
Net household income bands for those qualified
and in need of housing support
4
0
5,000
10,000
15,000
20,000
25,000
30,000
35,000
40,000
Up to
€10,000
€10,001 -
€15,000
€15,001 -
€20,000
€20,001 -
€25,000
€25,001 -
€30,000
More than
€30,000
(15%)
(9%)
(3%)
(1%)
(41%)
(31%)

5.
www.housingagency.ie
Summary Report
5
Total Number of Qualified
Households 2016
91, 600
Total Number of Qualified
Households 2013
89, 872
Increase between 2013 and
2016
1,728
(+1.9%)

6.
www.housingagency.ie
Net need over time
6
0
20,000
40,000
60,000
80,000
100,000
120,000
'93 '96 '99 '02 '05 '08 '11 '13* '16

7.
www.housingagency.ie7
Net need across the county (number of
households),1991 - 2011

8.
www.housingagency.ie8
Net need across the county (number of
households),1991 - 2011

9.
www.housingagency.ie9
2016
(no)
2016
(%)
Leitrim Local Authority 363 0.0040
Monaghan Local Authority 514 0.0056
Roscommon Local Authority 560 0.0061
Longford Local Authority 644 0.0070
Carlow Local Authority 719 0.0078
Areas with the lowest net need, 2016
Households in the five authorities
with lowest numbers on the list
represent 3% of the total net need
for social housing support

10.
www.housingagency.ie10
2016
(no)
2016
(%)
Dublin City Council 19,811 0.2163
Fingal County Council 6,858 0.0749
Kildare County Council 5,572 0.0608
South Dublin County Council 5,562 0.0607
Cork City Council 4,440 0.0485
Areas with the highest net need, 2016
Households in the five
authorities with highest numbers
on the list represent 46% of the
total net need for social housing
support
Three of the top five areas of
need for support are in Dublin

11.
www.housingagency.ie
Net need as a percentage of the stock, 2016
11
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
GalwayCity
DublinCity
CorkCity
Kildare
Fingal
SouthDublin
Kerry
Westmeath
Louth
Meath
Wicklow
Kilkenny
Wexford
DLR
Limerick
Laois
Clare
Longford
Offaly
Carlow
Waterford
Tipperary
GalwayCounty
CorkCounty
Sligo
Cavan
Monaghan
Leitrim
Mayo
Roscommon
Donegal
%

12.
www.housingagency.ie
Local Authorities that saw a drop in numbers
12
-2,500 -2,000 -1,500 -1,000 -500 0
Galway County Council
Dun Laoghaire Rathdown
Clare County Council
Tipperary County Council
Offaly County Council
Monaghan County Council
Kerry County Council
Mayo County Council
Waterford County Council
Carlow County Council
Donegal County Council
Cork County Council
South Dublin County Council
Louth County Council
Cork City Council(-31.1%)
(-31.7%)
(-10.5%)
(-11.7%)
(-24.4%)
(-31.1%)
(-15.0%)
(-16.0%)
(-5.2%)
(-26.1%)
(-11.5%)
(-6.5%)
(-3.2%)
(-1.9%)
(-0.6%)

13.
www.housingagency.ie
Local Authorities that saw an increase in numbers
13
0 500 1,000 1,500 2,000 2,500 3,000 3,500 4,000 4,500
Cavan County Council
Sligo County Council
Westmeath County Council
Longford County Council
Kilkenny County Council
Wicklow County Council
Leitrim County Council
Kildare County Council
Laois County Council
Roscommon County Council
Limerick County Council
Wexford County Council
Meath County Council
Fingal County Council
Galway City Council
Dublin City Council (22.5%)
(34.4%)
(13.9%)
(32.3%)
(31.5%)
(11.2%)
(122.2%)
(32.8%)
(2.2%)
(44.6%)
(3.4%)
(3.1%)
(7.9%)
(1.7%)
(4.0%)
(2.7%)

14.
www.housingagency.ie14
Household composition remains
very similar to 2013.
Single person households
represent 44% of all households
on the list.
Single persons with children
comprise roughly 30% of the
total number of households
qualified for support.
One in four households in need
of social housing are couples
with/without children
Household composition
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
Single Person
Household
Single Person
with
child/children
Couple with or
without
child/children
Multi-Adult
Household
2013 2016
%

15.
www.housingagency.ie15
Employment status of primary applicant
0 10,000 20,000 30,000 40,000 50,000 60,000
Unemployed and in receipt of
social/community welfare benefit
Employed (full, part or self)
One parent family support only
Other
Homemaker (no income)
Employed in back to work / FAS scheme
Pensioner / Retired
Student/child full time education
2016 2013
(60%)
(15%)
(8%)
(11%)
(5%)
(2%)
(3%)
(2%)
(2%)
(<1%)
(62%)
(20%)
(2%)
(2%)
(5%)

16.
www.housingagency.ie
Sources of income
16
0
10,000
20,000
30,000
40,000
50,000
60,000
70,000
Social Welfare
Only
Employment Only Combination of
Employment and
Social Welfare
Other*
2013 2016
(72%)
(11%)
(6%)
(10%)
(67%)
(13%)
(8%)
(12%)

17.
www.housingagency.ie17
Main need for support
2013 2013
(%)
2016 2016
(%)
Change
(No)
Change
(%)
Dependent on Rent Supplement 46,584 52 39,296 43 -7,288 -15.6
Unsuitable—particular household
circumstances
20,349 23 21,100 23 751 3.7
Requirement for separate
accommodation
9,587 11 11,476 13 1,889 19.7
Living in an institution, emergency
accommodation or hostel
2,808 3 5,401 6 2,593 92.3
Overcrowded accommodation 2,896 3 3,517 4 621 21.4
Unfit accommodation 647 1 2,304 3 1,657 256.1
Other 7,001 7.8 8,506 9.3 1,505 21.50
Main need for support

18.
www.housingagency.ie
Current tenure status, 2013 and 2016
18
0 15,000 30,000 45,000 60,000 75,000
Owner Occupier
Emergency Accommodation / none
Other
Living with Relatives / Friends
Living with Parents
Private Rented Sector
2016
2013

19.
www.housingagency.ie
Rent inflation
19
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
180
'76 '78 '80 '82 '84 '86 '88 '90 '92 '94 '96 '98 '00 '02 '04 '06 '08 '10 '12 '14
Private rent inflation
Overall CPI
HICP
Base 1996 = 100

20.
www.housingagency.ie20
Second most commonly cited basis of need, yet it’s hard to pin
down what the underlying need is. Broadly, it seems related to
difficulties meeting the cost of accommodation.
Compared to the aggregate results a greater proportion of
applicants in this category are:
1. Living in the PRS with no rent supplement
2. In employment
3. In need of general housing support (i.e., no particular
accommodation requirements)
Basis of need is recorded as “Unsuitable—
particular household circumstances”

21.
www.housingagency.ie21
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
Private rented
accom. with rent
supplement
Private rented
accom. without
rent supplement
Living with
parents
Other
All categories of need
Unsuitable—particular
household circumstances
Current tenure of those in the “Unsuitable—
particular household circumstances” category

22.
www.housingagency.ie22
All categories
of need
Unsuitable—Particular HH
Circumstances
Unemployed & in receipt of SWB 59.8% 48.7%
Employed* 19.9% 34.8%
One parent family support 8.1% 4.1%
Other 12.3% 12.4%
Breakdown of employment status compared to all households
qualified for support
Employment status of those in the “Unsuitable—
particular household circumstances” category

23.
www.housingagency.ie
All categories
of need
Unsuitable—Particular HH
Circumstances
General 85.0% 93.7%
Homeless 5.6% 1.1%
Enduring impairment 4.4% 0.6%
Other 4.9% 4.6%
Classification of housing need compared to all households
qualified for support
23
Accom. requirements for those in the “Unsuitable-
particular household circumstances” category

24.
www.housingagency.ie
Time on the record
24
0 5,000 10,000 15,000 20,000 25,000
Less than 6 months
Between 6 and 12 months
Between 1 and 2 years
Between 2 and 3 years
Between 3 and 4 years
Between 4 and 5 years
Between 5 and 7 years
More than 7 years
2016
2013
(13%)
(11%)
(16%)
(15%)
(13%)
(12%)
(11%)
(9%)
(21%)
(16%)
(10%)
(12%)
(13%)
(13%)
(7%)
(8%)

25.
www.housingagency.ie
Housing supports and rent supplement,
2015/2016 (Rough Estimate)
25
• 26,904
[registered]
/30,000
• 17,998
(2015) [RAS]
• 15,760 [HAP]
• 56,959 (end
2015)
• 129,860
6,929
[SHCEP]
Permanent
[and leased]
Social
Housing
Rent
Supplement
Housing
Associations
RAS & HAP
Units

26.
www.housingagency.ie
Vacant homes and net need
26
0
5,000
10,000
15,000
20,000
25,000
30,000
35,000
40,000
Carlow
Cavan
Clare
Cork
Donegal
Dublin
Galway
Kerry
Kildare
Kilkenny
Laois
Leitrim
Limerick
Longford
Louth
Mayo
Meath
Monaghan
Tipperary
Offaly
Roscommon
Sligo
Waterford
Westmeath
Wexford
Wicklow
Net Need
Vacant units excluding
holiday homes