There has been a significant increase in the number of families receiving the state housing allowance for Ukrainians, as the Government has terminated agreements with more than 100 centres that had been accommodating them this year.
From January onwards, an extra 3,125 payments have been issued to landowners, marking a 16% increase in payments under the Accommodation Recognition Payment (ARP) scheme since the beginning of the year.
Sinn Féin is demanding a comprehensive examination of the ARP program, stating that it is providing landlords with “tax-free” payments and decreasing the available rental properties in specific regions. The political party has also highlighted that the Government has overlooked requests to make the scheme “means-tested.”
At the same time, though, 109 housing centers that were accommodating Ukrainians have reverted to their initial purpose, as per data from the Department of Justice.
Organizations responsible for organizing local housing for Ukrainians have informed The Journal that hundreds of individuals from Ukraine have approached local arrangements because of these shutdowns, as in numerous instances the alternative housing provided is located far away, and they have become integrated into the communities they reside in.
The Justice Department has stated that 16,900 hosts are currently housing nearly 39,600 individuals under the program across more than 21,800 properties.
This indicates that there are now more than twice as many people receiving payments compared to January 2024, when payments were issued for 10,208 properties.
A representative from the Red Cross, nevertheless, has stated that their list of committed housing options has experienced a consistent decrease in figures.
Angie Gough, the chief executive and founder of Helping Irish Hosts, an organization that has been educating Ukrainians and hosts about their rights and responsibilities under the ARP program, said to The Journal that this is due to a significant increase in the number of Ukrainians residing with “single hosts” who have not followed official procedures.
There is no alternative for individuals departing from state-provided housing other than the private rental sector.
“More individuals are turning to ‘solo host’ setups online, which leads to an increase in unregulated situations, where Ukrainians often face ‘top up’ fees and rental charges,” Gough stated.
Gough stated that a comprehensive examination of the program would be “welcome” with the aim of implementing “more robust protections.”
“This initiative was not designed to avoid rental responsibilities. Each number represents an individual in need of a home, and another who provided it. We must ensure that this fundamental human narrative isn’t overlooked in political debates,” she stated.
Since the initiative began in July 2022, more than €339m has been distributed to approximately 26,100 individuals for accommodating over 56,700 temporary protection recipients.
The Justice spokesperson for Sinn Féin, Matt Carthy, who obtained the data through a parliamentary inquiry, is urging a complete examination of the ARP program.
“The quantity of properties within the scheme in certain counties is remarkable – for instance, there are 2,070 properties getting payments under the scheme in Donegal, whereas on Daft.ie there are just 20 properties available for rent in the county this morning,” he stated.
Carthy stated that landlords “are utilizing this program because it is financially advantageous and to bypass tenant responsibilities.”
He mentioned that the program provides “tax-free” payments to property owners, who may also receive a “top-up payment” from Ukrainian tenants renting the properties.
Carthy criticized the plan as “extremely unjust” and stated that it provides access to “non-means tested housing assistance” for one particular group of individuals “who are the only ones eligible for this support.”
He claimed that the Government has overlooked demands for the program to be subject to means testing.
Social Democrats TD and Justice spokesperson Gary Gannon stated to The Journal that a survey conducted by the Red Cross revealed that the majority of homes accommodating Ukrainians have never been registered as rental properties with the RTB.
This is a system that has functioned effectively during the crisis, and for families who take people in, it’s not a significant sum of money for having someone reside with you, especially when considering the rise in utility bills and other associated costs.
“Putting all these individuals into the IPAS system would create a significant financial burden on the system,” Gannon added.
The TD for Dublin Central stated that he “completely” believes the ARP program should be prolonged past March 2026.
“Without that, we still have a significant number of individuals who are women and children with childcare requirements, along with many elderly people who haven’t been able to find work. I don’t believe there’s a narrative about Ukrainians residing here ‘without paying rent’; many are indeed renting, but there are various other factors affecting those who cannot,” Gannon stated.
The Justice Minister, Jim O’Callaghan, responded to Carthy, stating that there is continuous communication between his department and the Department of Housing regarding the initiative.
O’Callaghan mentioned that the program has been prolonged until March of this year, and that the monthly payment amount was lowered to €600 starting from 1 June.
This year, the Department of Justice outlined a strategy to shut down Ukrainian accommodation centres it supports throughout the country, with 1,800 beds in the student housing facility to be restored for their main purpose during the next academic term.
In areas where this has already taken placeUkrainians have looked for housing in their local area, as many who work in these regions have been there for two years in some instances, while others have children enrolled in nearby schools.
