- Charity assisted over 19,400 households last year in total
- Tenancy termination continues to be top issue of clients contacting the charity, mainly due to landlords selling property
National housing charity Threshold underwent a year of transformation in 2024, as outlined in their Annual Report 2024(PDF). Through improved digital services the charity supported over 19,400 households during the year, with the top incoming query continuing to relate to tenancy terminations.
The charity is pleased to see progress on much of the advocacy work it campaigned on in 2024 in the new Government housing plan Delivering Homes, Building Communities 2025-2030, including a commitment to strengthen tenancy protections though introducing national rent controls, improved security of tenure, and a review of Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) rates. However, Threshold remains cautious about the proposed market rent resets between tenancies, and its potential to lead to inadvertently escalating rents.
Threshold’s independent, confidential, freephone helpline remains at the core of its service. The charity’s Annual Report 2024 shows that during 2024 Threshold:
- Provided housing support to over 19,400 households in vulnerable situations, representing 23,315 adults and 16,083 children in rental accommodation
- Opened 14,514 new cases during the year, a significant increase on 2023 when 12,000 new cases were opened
- Closed 6,327 cases where renters had been at risk of homelessness, preventing 4,262 of these households – or 67% – from entering homelessness services
- Created 5,669 new cases created via email queries, held 4,752 webchat queries between January and September 2024, and 780 video consultations booked during January and October last year
- Held over 2,000 in-person consultations and outreach sessions around the country
- Opened three new clinics across Dublin City and Cork
Threshold continues to engage in on-going service delivery improvements, and this continued to be a key focus for the charity in 2024. Last autumn, it undertook a system-wide review and improvement of its independent, confidential and free helpline service based on call analysis and feedback from clients. As a result of feedback, Threshold significantly enhanced its telephony system and call-handling service to ensure highest-standard of service for clients and staff alike, including creating a roster for helpline advisers, and new group and one-to-one coaching for staff.
Launching their annual report in Buswells Hotel in Dublin today, Threshold has highlighted the need for continued action on key renter protections including greater transparency in the private rental sector, support for licensees and stronger security of tenure measures.
Commenting on the launch of the report, Chairperson of Threshold Oliver Holt said:
“2024 continued to be a particularly busy year for Threshold, with over 76,000 inbound and outbound phone calls during the year, and 39,109 calls answered by our skilled advisers. It was also a time of significant organisational transformation in Threshold. We are committed to listening to and consulting with our clients around their needs. Following an extensive client survey last year, we invested heavily in upgrading our services, particularly our helpline, to embrace digital tools. We are proud to now offer a high-quality service to everyone that contacts us, as well as enhanced systems to support our skilled advisers around the country.
“Our goal is to ensure that clients, many of whom are navigating stressful situations such as disputes with landlords or the threat of losing their rental homes, receive the best possible support. Our commitment is to deliver timely, high-quality support to every client navigating the stress of housing precarity and strengthen our advocacy efforts on behalf of those in the private rental sector.”
Threshold CEO, John-Mark McCafferty said:
“Our 2024 Annual Report reveals critical insights into the ongoing housing crisis, where demand continues to outstrip supply. In 2024, through our dedicated advocacy and campaigning efforts, Threshold saw crucial policy changes that have provided enhanced protections for those at risk of homelessness. We also made significant strides in supporting access to tenant-in-situ schemes, allowing families to remain in their rented homes while enabling landlords to sell their properties to local authorities or Approved Housing Bodies.
As households continue to struggle under the weight of rising living costs and housing insecurity, it is more crucial than ever for the Government to take decisive action. We are pleased to see many of the key issues we have campaigned on in the new Government housing plan such as a commitment to review Housing Assistance Payment (HAP) rates, improve security of tenure for renters, and cap rent increases. However, we believe there needs to be a stronger focus on increasing social housing targets to meet the pressing demand, and it is also disappointing that the proposed deposit protection scheme has not been advanced, despite its inclusion in previous Government plans.
“These policy changes are essential in ensuring that the necessary protections and support for vulnerable tenants are in place during challenging times.”
Termination queries remain the top reason for renters seeking help
Tenancy termination continued to be among the most common query that Threshold received in 2024, as in previous years. In total, almost 1 in 4 (37%) of cases opened in 2024 were for clients who had received a Notice of Termination, similar to 2023 figures.
Threshold held a national policy conference during the year, which was launched by then-Minister for Housing Darragh O’Brien TD and attended by politicians, academics and housing practitioners from around the country. It explored how best to strengthen tenancy rights as well as how Ireland can expand social and cost‑rental housing to 20% of total housing stock.
During the year, the charity published 7 reports and made 7 policy submissions on key issues including the Residential Tenancies Board review, energy poverty and the right to housing, to the Housing Commission, the Department of Housing, and other relevant bodies.
Case Study: Amy’s Story
Amy had lived in her rented Wexford home for three years when she gave birth to her daughter. A few months later her relationship broke down, and she found herself in a position of having to apply for social housing. Amy’s application was approved, and she became eligible for the Housing Assistance Payment (HAP).
Amy explained her situation and discussed HAP with her landlord over the phone, who made it clear they did not want to accept it. Knowing how difficult it would be to find somewhere else to live, Amy provided the HAP forms to her landlord anyway, hoping it would allow her and her daughter to stay in their home.
A few months after becoming a HAP tenant, Amy received a Notice of Termination from her landlord, as they told her they planned to move back into the property. Her daughter was settled in the local crèche, and they had formed deep connections in the local community. Having previously worked as a case worker with a homelessness charity, Amy knew well how difficult it would be to find a new home. “No money could make up for the fear I felt at the thought of my two-year-old and I [being] homeless,” she said.
Amy knocked on doors and used her social media network, but she couldn’t find anything. She even contacted her landlord to say she could come off HAP if it meant being allowed to stay. At the time, the landlord seemed open to it. Eventually Amy found a new home to rent through a friend.
A few months later, Amy was shocked to discover her previous landlord had not moved back in but had re-let the property on Daft.ie at a rent 21% higher that the rate she had been paying – well above the 2% Rent Pressure Zone (RPZ) limit.
Initially confident, Amy brought her case to the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) but was overwhelmed when the landlord presented derogatory and untrue evidence against her. “It did frighten me”, Amy said. Turning to Threshold for help, Amy was supported by an adviser who identified key evidence and represented her at the hearing.
The adjudicator ruled in Amy’s favour, awarding over €2,000 in damages. But Amy was not doing this for the financial gain. “No money could make up for the fear I felt at the thought of my two-year-old and I [being] homeless.”
Reflecting on her ordeal, she emphasised the broader implications of her case, stating, “I found myself in my previous clients’ shoes, potentially facing homelessness. If I can just help one tenant who has been wronged to speak out and encourage them to get help, it’ll be worth it.”
