Homeless Housing Assistance Payment (HAP)
Homeless HAP helps people who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. It gives more supports to tenants than Mainstream HAP
The Dublin Region Homeless Executive (DRHE) operates the Homeless HAP scheme on behalf of the 4 Dublin local authorities.
To be eligible for Homeless HAP in Dublin you must be registered as homeless and be on the social housing list with any of:
- Dublin City Council
- Fingal County Council
- South Dublin County Council
- or Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council
A homeless household is one that fits the meaning of section 2 of the Housing Act 1988.
Once you are assessed and registered as homeless you are eligible to apply for Homeless HAP within a period of 4 weeks. You can renew your eligibility with your local authority’s homeless services unit.
Homeless HAP applications are validated and processed in the HAP section in Dublin City Council on behalf of the other Dublin local authorities. Extra documents are needed for homeless HAP applications.
You will need to contact the Homeless Services unit of your local authority. A homeless assessment must be completed. You will be registered if you are deemed homeless.
Along with your HAP application, recent income details and landlord documents as described on our main page, we also require a Housing Needs Assessment (HNA) letter from your local authority.
This letter confirms your active status and the members of your household on your local authority’s housing list.
The letter must be in date by at least 4 weeks. It is always needed for a Homeless HAP application.
You can request this HNA letter from the Homeless Services unit of your local authority.
If a HNA letter is not included with your Homeless HAP application it may cause a delay in processing your application
The HAP rent payment for a given application is based on the area the property is in and number of people in a household. HAP payments are issued on a monthly basis.
The current base rates for HAP in the Dublin area are as follows:
| Single sharing | Couple sharing | Single | Couple | Single or Couple + 1 child |
Single or Couple + 2 children |
Single or Couple + 3 children |
| €430 * | €500 | €660 * | €900 | €1,250 | €1,275 | €1,300 |
Local authorities have discretionary flexibility to exceed the maximum rent limits based on the application type.
For Mainstream HAP applicants, this discretion is limited to 35% of the base rate.
For Homeless HAP applicants, this discretion is limited to 50% of the base rate.
The discretionary rate is applied on a case-by-case basis. The HAP payment issued on your behalf is not guaranteed to be the maximum rate.
For example:
- A single mother with 1 dependent child applying for Mainstream HAP would be eligible for up to €1250 + 35% = €1687.50.
- A couple with 3 dependent children applying for Homeless HAP would be eligible for up to €1300 + 50% = €1950.
* Under housing circular 29 of 2022 for new tenancies after 2022, the couple rates can be applied to a single person household. These ‘uplift’ rates may only have an additional 35% discretion applied.
Put simply, a single adult tenant applying for HAP for a property in the Dublin area may be eligible for up to:
- €500 + 35% = €675 when applying for shared accommodation.
- €990 + 35% = €1215 when applying for a stand-alone unit.
| Mainstream HAP | Homeless HAP | |
| Eligibility | All households on an active housing list with a relevant local authority are eligible. |
Households must be active on a housing list and registered as homeless with a relevant local authority.
|
| Processing location |
The local authority the household is on the housing list with.
|
Dublin City Council processes for the 4 Dublin local authorities. |
| Required Documents |
Included but not limited to:
|
Included but not limited to:
|
| Max HAP discretion | 35% |
50% (except for single uplift cases which are 35%)
|
| First Payment | An amount backdated in arrears. Payments are issued by the National Shared Services Centre based in Limerick. |
An amount paid in advance.
For first time applicants, an amount equivalent to 3 HAP monthly payments to cover the first 2 month's rent and the deposit.
|
| Deposit | Mainstream HAP does not cover the deposit. |
Homeless HAP can cover up to 1 HAP monthly payment for the deposit for first time applicants.
|
| Regular Payment date | Last Wednesday of a month for that month. | Last Wednesday of a month for the following month. |
You can follow the steps outlined on our webpage to learn more about applying for HAP with Dublin City Council.
Contacts – Homeless Services
Singles and Couples 01 222 6944:
Families 01 222 6977:
(Mon – Fri, 10am – 4pm)
Email: [email protected]
Webpage: Contact us - Homeless Dublin
New Homeless Presentations: 01 890 5090 (Mon – Fri, 9:30am – 12:30pm)
Repeat Homeless Presentations: 01 890 5800
Email: [email protected]
Webpage: Homelessness Information and Advice | Fingal County Council
Tel: 01 205 4700 (Mon – Fri, 10am – 5pm)
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 01 222 6955 10am – 4pm Monday to Friday
Email:
- [email protected] – General Queries
- [email protected] – Updating existing HAP tenancies
- [email protected] – Ceasing existing HAP tenancies
Post:
Dublin City Council, HAP Section, Block 2 Floor 2, Civic Offices, Wood Quay, Dublin 8, D08RF3F