Updated February 2023

Homelessness and Housing Need 

747 people (adults and children) were depending on emergency accommodation in the South West (Cork and Kerry) during the week of 23-29 January 2023 - up 10% in twelve months.

This figure includes 585 adults – up 6% in twelve months, and 162 children in 86 families – up 30% (children) and 54% (families) in twelve months.

Source: Dept. of Housing, Local Government and Heritage

529 adults were depending on emergency accommodation in Cork during the week of 23-29 January 2023 - up 16% in twelve months.

Source: Dept. of Housing, Local Government and Heritage

56 adults were depending on emergency accommodation in Kerry during the week of 23-29 January 2023 – down 41% in twelve months.

Source: Dept. of Housing, Local Government and Heritage

Note! These figures only capture people in emergency accommodation and don’t reflect the full scale of the homeless crisis. People rough sleeping, those in squats, parents and children in refuges, those in direct provision and hidden homelessness – people staying with family or friends on an insecure basis, often in over-crowded accommodation, because they have no-where else to stay – are not counted.

Private Rental Market

Rising rent and falling supply:

Rising rents in Cork city centre - falling supply in Munster:

Daft.ie’s Rental Price Reports show average monthly rent in Cork city has increased by 92.1% in the last 7 years from €889 in Q2, 2015 to €1,708 in Q3, 2022. During the same time period, the daily number of homes available to rent in Munster has reduced by 73.3%, from 1,000 in Q2, 2015 to 267 in Q3, 2022.

Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) is a form of social housing support, aimed at assisting people who have a long-term housing need and are on a local authority’s housing list, to secure private rented accommodation. HAP standard limits are calculated according to location and household size, with a discretionary top-up possible, determined case-by-case. In July 2022, the HAP discretionary top-up limit in counties outside of Dublin increased from 20% to 35%. Also since July 2022, the HAP rate for a single person can be increased to the HAP rate for a couple, determined again on a case-by-case basis. However, both standard and discretionary HAP limits, across household categories, still fall short of average rents in Cork City (Daft.ie Rental Price Report Q4, 2022).

No homes available to rent in Cork city or suburbs within standard HAP limits:

Homes available to rent in Cork city centre and suburbs within standard and discretionary HAP rates, according to four household categories:

The latest Simon Communities Locked Out of the Market Study (December 2022) found that over three consecutive days in December 2022, there was an average of 36 homes available to rent in Cork city centre each day. None of these properties were affordable through the HAP standard rate for single people, couples or families with one or two children. 

In Cork city suburbs, there was an average of 17 homes available to rent each day during the three day study period. None of these properties were available within standard HAP rates for any household category. 

The picture facing a single person seeking to rent in Cork city through HAP:

The standard HAP limit for a single person in Cork city is €550 – less than half the average rent for a one-bed property in Cork city, which according to Daft.ie Rental Price Report Q4, 2022 is €1,232.

Since July 2022, local authorities can, on a case-by-case basis, increase the HAP rate for a single person to the rate for a couple - in Cork city this is €650. They can also, on a case-by-case basis, increase the HAP rate by up to 35% - bringing the maximum HAP rate for a single person in Cork city to €877.50. This however is still €354.50, or 28.7%, below the average rent for a one bed home in Cork city. 

The latest Simon Communities Locked Out of the Market Study (December 2022) found that over three consecutive days in December 2022, there were no homes available to rent in Cork city centre or suburbs within the standard or discretionary HAP limits for a single person.

Almost 3 in 5 people relying on social housing support, such as HAP, at risk of poverty after paying rent:

Risk of poverty rate, by tenure type, before and after housing costs.

The CSO’s latest Survey on Income and Living Standards, 2021 finds that the 'at risk of poverty' rate for people renting with social housing supports, such as HAP, increases five-fold to almost 60% after rent is paid, making this the most at-risk of poverty housing category.

(At risk of poverty is defined by the CSO as living on an income less than 60% of the median national income, after taxes and benefits have been factored in. The median income in 2021 was €25,264 annually, or €485.85 a week. The 60% at risk of poverty rate, therefore, was €291.51 a week.)