Labour’s Councillor Helen Ogbu has warned that the Housing Assistance Payment is no longer working for renters locally, as rising rents and limited supply push families and workers out of their own communities.
Councillor Ogbu said the reality on the ground shows a housing system that is failing people who rely on HAP to secure a home.
“In Galway, people are doing everything asked of them," she added. "They are working, raising families and trying to put down roots. Yet they cannot find a home within the HAP limits when required. That is not a personal failure. It is a policy failure.
“The evidence is stark. Properties within HAP limits are virtually non-existent, while rents continue to climb. For renters in Galway, that means endless viewings, repeated rejections and growing fear about where they will live next.
“The result is families stuck in emergency accommodation, people sofa surfing with friends and relatives, and workers forced to leave Galway because they cannot afford to stay," Cllr Ogbu warned. "This is hollowing out our community and putting enormous strain on households.
“What makes this worse is that Government decisions are actively pushing rents higher. Instead of strengthening protections for renters, they have chosen to weaken them. Renters in Galway are being told to absorb higher costs in a market that is already broken.
“HAP was meant to act as a safety net," she continued. "In practice, it has become a false promise. People are approved for support but cannot find a landlord willing to accept it. That leaves households trapped in limbo, with no stability and no security.
“In Galway, we see the knock-on effects every day. Schools feel the pressure when families move repeatedly. Employers struggle to retain staff who cannot afford to live locally. Communities lose volunteers, carers and neighbours.
“This crisis is not inevitable. It is the result of political choices. Failing to build public housing at scale, relying on the private market and allowing rents to spiral have all led us here. Renters in Galway and across the country deserve better than a system that keeps failing them.”
