Overview of the Submission
The City of Edinburgh Council submitted a detailed policy document to the Scottish Parliament in 2025, authored by Chief Executive Paul Lawrence and published by the Scottish Parliament. It outlines Edinburgh’s housing emergency, focusing on homelessness, social‑rent shortages, and the need for sustainable, affordable homes across the city.
Current Housing Crisis
Edinburgh faces a severe housing shortage, with roughly 7,000 households lacking permanent homes and about 5,000 residing in temporary accommodation. Social‑rent homes account for only 16 % of the city’s housing stock, well below the Scottish average of 22 %. Around 17 % of residents (20 % of children) live in poverty, a large share driven by housing costs. The unemployment rate is low at 2.6 %, highlighting the specific affordability issue rather than a lack of jobs.
Progress on Reducing Void Properties
Since a baseline of 1,464 void properties on 4 June 2023, the council has reduced voids by 55 % by January 2025, generating an estimated £5 million annual rental income for reinvestment. Over the past 12 months, more than 700 new houses have been purchased for permanent and temporary use, with ongoing construction across the portfolio.
Temporary Accommodation and Children
The council records about 3,000 children in temporary accommodation, with households containing children in unsuitable homes decreasing over the autumn period. However, overall homelessness is rising, even as over 2,000 cases were prevented in the latest year.
Key Housing Statistics
- Estimated demand for 36,000‑52,000 new homes (2021‑2040), of which 24,000‑35,000 must be affordable.
- Average construction cost of an affordable home in 2023/24 is £239,647.
- Grant funding requirements for the SHIP programme total around £61 million for the current year, with a projected 250 % increase needed to meet 2025‑30 targets.
- CEC lets fell from 1,680 in 2012‑13 to 918 in 2022‑23 (‑45 %). The proportion of lets to homeless households rose from 63.5 % to 70.9 %.
Monitoring and Assessment
Homelessness assessments show a high statutory homelessness rate, with 87.3 % of households assessed as homeless in 2023‑24 and 88.9 % in 2024‑25. Open homeless cases have grown steadily, reaching 7,811 by 31 December 2024, a net increase of 1,064 cases in the latest year. Average case length for homeless households increased from 203 days (2012‑13) to 762 days (2023‑24), though it fell to 704 days in 2024‑25.
Sustainable Housing Initiatives
The council is pursuing several sustainable strategies: purchasing off‑the‑shelf properties (566 approved, 130 completed), expanding build‑to‑rent schemes, and modelling alternative income streams such as a visitor levy and land sales. The City Plan 2030 raises the on‑site affordable housing requirement from 25 % to 35 %, reinforcing long‑term sustainability goals.
Collaboration and Future Work
Weekly meetings between council officers and the Housing Emergency response team, alongside a deep‑dive data session with the First Minister’s delivery unit, demonstrate collaborative governance. Upcoming actions include finalising the refreshed Housing Emergency Action Plan, continuing property acquisitions, and securing additional grant funding (e.g., an extra £14.8 million announced in September 2024).