National housing charity Threshold is to present a pre-budget submission on what it terms the "affordability crisis" in the private rented sector to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform today.

Threshold says an "affordability crisis" is "undermining people's security in their homes" and that rising rents are contributing to increasing levels of homelessness.

The organisation has proposed a range of measures:

• Increasing Rent Supplement limits in a targeted way to help those living in high-demand areas

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• Introducing rent control measures to curb unsustainable rent increases and give greater stability and certainty to tenants and landlords.

• Amending the Residential Tenancies Act 2004 to state that receivers must 'step into the shoes' of landlords and take on their obligations, so that if buy-to-let properties go into mortgage arrears, the tenants living in them are not adversely affected.

Commenting in advance of the Committee hearing, Bob Jordan, Chief Executive of Threshold, said: "The housing crisis has emerged as one of the most serious issues facing Ireland, and immediate measures must be taken to ensure it does not continue to spiral out of control. We are calling on the Government to ensure that such measures are included – as priorities – in Budget 2015."

The submission will be presented today between 17:00 and 19:00.

(IT/JP)