Capping rent will make families homeless – Deputy Seán Crowe

Dublin South West Sinn Féin TD Seán Crowe has criticised the Government’s decision to lower rent caps, claiming it is a decision that will make many families homeless.

Deputy Crowe said “The introduction of rent supplement caps is making it increasingly difficult for many families to meet the cost of paying for their rent as Social Welfare will no longer pay the supplement if it exceeds their cap.

“Every year the Government pays around €500 million to private landlords, a staggering amount of money that is spent on a system that is open to exploitation and abuse. I know from callers to my advice centre of many instances when landlords have hiked their rent to over a €1000 a month forcing their tenants to pay over and above what they are supposed to. This underhand practice by unscrupulous landlords is forcing more and more people into greater poverty.

“The reality is that while rent supplement is being reduced annually, the cost of renting a property, particularly in areas like Tallaght has remained unacceptably high.

“The Government’s decision to lower the rent caps and force individual tenants, under the threat of being made homeless, into often unwinnable negotiations with landlords, is causing untold misery and upheaval for families throughout the country.

“There are 96,000 people on housing lists and waiting up to 10 years to be housed at a time when the most recent census figures show there are 230,000 empty dwellings in the State.

“It is utterly perverse that these properties lie vacant when they could be used to house people which in turn would save the State millions of Euros.”

“The Minister for Social Protection Joan Burton, needs to look at this failed policy that is forcing families further into austerity. I call on the Minister to revisit the Rent Limits Report for 2011, that is driving this unworkable policy.”