Call for increase in Mortgage to Rent income threshold in Meath
A Sinn Féin councillor has called on Meath County Council to press the Government for changes to the Mortgage to Rent Scheme (MTR) so more struggling homeowners can qualify for support.
At the September meeting of the council, Cllr Fionnan Blake tabled a motion urging the local authority to write to the Minister for Housing seeking an increase in the scheme’s income threshold.
He warned that rising house prices were putting more families at risk of negative equity, yet many were excluded from the MTR because of the current income limits.
In response, officials outlined that the scheme is intended to help homeowners in mortgage arrears who are in danger of losing their homes.
It is run by local authorities under guidelines set by the Department of Housing. To qualify, applicants must also be eligible for social housing support.
The council also noted that income bands were raised by €5,000 in January 2023, with further revisions expected.
The motion passed, and the council will now write to the Minister seeking a fresh increase to the thresholds.