Frank O’Rourke TD introduced a bill into the Dáil last night that seeks to allow families facing eviction access the HAP scheme sooner.
Frank commented, “This Bill aims to prevent families from entering homelessness, by making changes in access to HAP. As it stands, a family served with a tenancy termination notice can only access HAP as their eviction date looms. My Bill seeks to give families access to HAP at a much earlier stage of their notice period, thereby giving time to seek and secure alternative accommodation. As well as the social implications, my Bill also makes economic sense, as it costs the state significantly more to house families in emergency accommodation, than in a stable home assisted by HAP.”
You can see Frank speak in the Dáil here