Tory MSP urges Scottish Government to do more to prevent homelessness in Edinburgh

Lothian Conservative MSP Miles Briggs has called on SNP and Green Minister to do more to support Edinburgh Council in preventing homelessness.

Yesterday the city council’s Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Committee met to discuss challenges facing the capital.

Councillors raised concerns that the number of people presenting as homeless would rise over the next few months. Between 1^st April 2020 and 30 June 2021, 2,550 people presented to the Council as homeless.  

The number of household in temporary accommodation increased from 3,570 in March 2020 to 4,431 in March 2021, an increase of 24%.

Mr Briggs has also supported calls for tenants to contact Edinburgh Council if they are having trouble paying their rent to help resolve the issue sooner rather than later.

The pledge to end homelessness across Scotland by the end of this Parliament has received cross party support, with Lothian MSP Miles Briggs going even further, calling for homelessness to be ended by 2023.

Lothian MSP, Miles Briggs, said: “If we are going to end homelessness in Scotland then the first step is to prevent people becoming homeless.

“Charities, such as Crisis, do excellent work to stop people becoming homeless, by working with Private landlords and Edinburgh Council.

“In Edinburgh we face unique challenges to preventing homelessness and SNP/ Green Ministers are not providing enough support to prevent people from becoming homeless.

“I will be meeting with the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Housing and Local Government later this month to discuss these issues in greater detail.”