Housing corporation umbrella group Aedes and tenants’ organisation Woonbond have reached a deal to limit social housing rent rises.

Social housing rents have risen sharply since the government took action to encourage high earners to leave the subsidised sector and Woonbond says low income households are finding it increasingly hard to make ends meet.

New tenants are paying on average 29% more than they would have done for the same property two years ago, Woonbond said earlier this year. The average social housing rent for a new contract has gone up to €605 a month, just €100 below the liberalised sector limit.

The agreement with Aedes means rent increases will be linked to the quality of the property, rather than the income of the tenant. This is a ‘clear signal’ to politicians, Aedes chairman Marc Calon said.

‘Ensuring there is a supply of affordable social housing is the joint responsibility of the state, housing corporations and tenants,’ the organisations said in a joint statement. ‘Aedes and the Woonbond expect the state to take its share of the responsibility and not to make further savings in housing benefit.’

Aedes’ 380 member housing corporations own some 2.4 million homes.