More than 80 per cent of rental properties are too expensive for people on Social Welfare.

Figures from the Simon Community show rents are continuing to rise despite measures introduced by government to try to alleviate the housing crisis.

Labour wants local authorities to maintain proper registers of vacant properties, after many of them published empty tables on January 1st to comply with legislation.

Juliette Gash reports;
Simon Community study finds private rented supply down 44% since May 2015

• Just 17% of all properties available to rent (112 properties) were available within the RS/HAP limits for the four categories included in this study. 
• 44% drop in all homes available to rent in the study period to the 643 homes since the first Locked Out Study in May 2015 when 1,150 homes were available.  
• Just five properties were available to rent across all locations falling within rent supplement/HAP limits for a single person.
• Just five properties were available to rent for a couple falling within rent supplement/HAP limits.

Labour is calling on Housing Minister Simon Coveney to speed up the process whereby vacant properties can be used for social or affordable housing.

Jan O'Sullivan TD criticised Local Authorities for putting up empty tables of vacant properties, to comply with the legislative deadline;