The housing charity Threshold reported that they are now dealing with double the amount of pre-pandemic evictions.

Speaking at the Oireachtas Housing Committee, Threshold have reported that they now receive a monthly average of 462 calls from people served with a notice of termination. This is almost double pre-pandemic levels of 263 per month.

462 calls per month equates to approximately 3 notices per hour, or one call every twenty minutes.

Speaking before their meeting with the Oireachtas Housing Committee, Threshold warned that this rise will mean “an increased number of people living in hidden homelessness, sleeping on couches, on floors, in cars or rough sleeping. These people will not be counted in the official homeless figures.”

The charity also says that renters are more at risk of going cold this winter due to lower energy ratings in rental homes, warning: “It is highly likely this year that many renters will go without heating their homes.”

Recommendations from Threshold

According to the charity, 58 per cent of private renters who have contacted them this year were given notice to quit by landlords who were intending to sell the properties.

Threshold’s policy officer Ann Marie O’Reilly recommended to TDs and Senators an increase in Housing Assistance Payment levels and tax incentives to encourage landlords to sell properties to local authorities or Approved Housing Bodies with tenants in situ.

The Chief Executive of the Institute of Professional Auctioneers and Valuers, Pat Davitt

told the Committee that landlords would not have a problem selling properties to local authorities with a tenant in situ.

However, he said that the reality was that local authorities are currently renting these properties at “half the value” through the HAP system and therefore have no interest in buying them.

Elsewhere on District: No household will be disconnected for not paying energy bills says regulator