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The Home-Stretch: the risk of poverty after rent
November 2025
Our sixth Home Truths paper reveals the severe affordability pressures facing renters in Cork and nationally, particularly for those relying on the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP).
The report draws on data from the Central Statistics Office (CSO), the Office of the Ombudsman, and The Housing Agency to expose a troubling reality: employment no longer guarantees housing security, and HAP – designed as a safety net, is failing to protect vulnerable households from poverty.
Two in five renters at risk of poverty after paying rent
An analysis of CSO‘s Survey on Income and Living Conditions (SILC) 2024 reveals that 41% of households in rental accommodation are at risk of poverty once rent is paid. For those receiving HAP, this figure rises to 57%.
HAP top-ups pushing households deeper into poverty
More than 7,500 households across Cork rent through HAP – approximately one in five privately rented homes in the county. However, the gap between HAP limits and actual market rents forces many to make unsustainable “top-up” payments directly to landlords, eroding what little income remains.
Employment no longer shields households from housing insecurity
The report documents a dramatic shift: housing crisis indicators are increasingly affecting working households:
- The proportion of Cork City social housing waiting list applicants who are employed has risen from 28% in 2016 to 42% in 2024.
- Among new HAP tenants in Cork City, 76% were employed in 2022, up from 54% in 2015.
- Nationally, the proportion of people experiencing homelessness who are in employment increased from 9% in 2011 to 25% in 2022.
"I was paying nearly €100 extra on top-up direct to the landlord every week. That wasn't including my actual rent. I was left with about €25 to live on.
I've gone days without eating. I'm on medication, and there was one month I was trying to eat, one month afford my medication. It was crazy."
– Leanne
Housing costs and risk of poverty in Cork
Cork city and county has over 210,000 households. When housing costs are factored in, nearly 1 in 5 households (approximately 38,000) are at risk of poverty.
Before housing costs, 12% face poverty risk – this jumps to 18% after paying rent or mortgage interest.
Renters face higher risk. About 65,000 Cork households (31%) live in rental accommodation, and renters are hit hardest:
- 41% of renters are at risk of poverty after paying rent – that’s 2 in 5 households, or over 25,000 homes.
- 57% of renters receiving housing supports (like HAP) are at risk of poverty after rent – more than 1 in 2 households.
- Two-thirds of all households at poverty risk are renters.
Approximately 40,000 Cork households (nearly 20%) rent from private landlords. Of these, over 7,500 households – roughly 1 in 4 private renters, receive Housing Assistance Payment (HAP).
Data sources: CSO SILC data, Census 2011.
Employed and struggling with housing
Over the past decade, there’s been a dramatic increase in employed people who need social housing support or are experiencing homelessness. This shows just how unaffordable housing has become – people are working, but still can’t afford a place to live.
The number of working households on Cork City’s social housing list has surged:
- 2016: 28% of applicants were employed.
- 2024: 42% of applicants are employed.
- This represents a 50% increase in less than 10 years.
More working people are relying on HAP to afford rent:
- 2015: Just over half (54%) of new HAP recipients were employed.
- 2022: Over three-quarters (76%) of new HAP recipients were employed.
Nationally, Census 2022 revealed that 1 in 4 homeless people were employed – a stark increase from 2011, when fewer than 1 in 10 people experiencing homelessness had jobs.
What does ‘At Risk of Poverty’ actually mean?
It means surviving on far less than most people have.
The official definition: if your income falls below 60% of the median (middle) income in Ireland, you’re at risk of poverty. In practical terms, this means struggling to afford what most Irish families consider basic – while working, raising children, and trying to keep a roof over your head.
When housing costs push nearly 1 in 5 Cork households below this line, and more than half of renters receiving housing supports into poverty, we’re not talking about unemployment or welfare dependency.
We’re talking about working people who cannot afford to live.
“I was living not even pay-check to pay-check, I was living, like, day-to-day. It definitely started to leech over into my work life and then caused me to not be 100% in it all the time at work.
In this day and age, to be working full-time, to be doing your best, and to still not be able to live, like, that’s ridiculous.”
– Barry
