Every SCS Homes tenant has kept their home this year, as record homelessness figures put pressure on ministers
Every tenancy in Simon Community Scotland’s SCS Homes project has been sustained this year, charity reveals
Across Scotland, 83% of Housing First tenancies are still in place 12 months after they start
The latest Scottish Government report on homelessness to 31st March 2026 highlighted that there were 41,443 homelessness applications, a slight increase of 197 compared to 2024–25
A record 10,715 children are living in temporary accommodation in Scotland
SCS Homes owns 32 homes in Edinburgh for people moving through Housing First, and every tenant has a named support worker and wider team support
Kirsty, who has been affected by homelessness since she was a teenager, shares her story in a new film for This is Community, the campaign marking 60 years of Simon Community Scotland
Every tenant in Simon Community Scotland’s SCS Homes has kept their home this year, while more people in Scotland are living in temporary accommodation than ever before.
Scottish Government figures show 19,004 households, including 10,715 children, were in temporary accommodation as of March 2026, the highest on record.
New YouGov polling found 58% of adults want the Government to do more.
SCS Homes takes a different approach.
The charity owns 32 homes across Edinburgh and lets them at affordable rents to people moving through the Housing First programme. Each tenant has a dedicated support worker who offers support tailored to each individual situation.
Charlie West, SCS Homes & Support Coordinator at Simon Community Scotland, said: “SCS Homes are more than just a roof over someone’s head, our homes offer stability, security and a fresh start.
“Alongside a home, each person has a dedicated support worker who offers ongoing, person-centred support.
“That helps people sustain their tenancy, build confidence, develop independent living skills and connect with the wider community. We also help open doors to other services, opportunities and support networks.
“We believe success isn’t just about ending homelessness. It’s about helping people maintain a home, become part of their community and build a life they can be proud of.”
Kirstyis one of the people living in an SCS Home. For a long time, she didn’t know where she would be sleeping from one night to the next.
The night before she moved in, she almost talked herself out of it. Her support worker, Melissa, was there, and that made the difference.
Melissa kept turning up afterwards too, helping with ordinary things – like getting the flooring sorted, until the flat started to feel like Kirsty’s own.
Kirsty said: “Not knowing where you’re sleeping from night to night, that’s tiring. I kept myself clean, and I kept myself out of trouble, and I got this place. And that’s just changed my life.
“I’ve got all my family. I’ve got everything back. I am the happiest woman ever.”
Melissabrings her own story to the job. She said: “I’ve got lived experience as well with addiction.
“Being able to share that with people I support is a good thing, because it can give people who are in active addiction a bit of hope that actually, you can do this.”
Kirsty’s film is the latest in This is Community, Simon Community Scotland’s 60th anniversary campaign.
SCS Homes began in 2021 with £5m of social investment from the Social and Sustainable Housing Fund, managed by Social and Sustainable Capital. £1 million of which came from the University of Edinburgh. Homes are let at local housing allowance rents.
Zero carbon ready homes on premium site will include 169 affordable properties – construction due to start in February 2027
Hundreds of new zero-carbon-ready homes are set to be built in New Brunstane, with a major development due to get under way next year at one of the most sought-after sites in Edinburgh.
Persimmon Homes East Scotland is bringing forward plans for 485 new homes, including 316 private properties and 169 affordable homes.
The development will offer a mix of homes ranging from two-bedroom terraces to five-bedroom detached properties, providing options for first-time buyers, families and downsizers.
All of the homes will be zero-carbon-ready, featuring the latest energy-efficient technology. Each home will include solar panels, electric vehicle charging points and sustainable non-gas heating, including air source heat pumps.
Construction is expected to begin in February 2027. The site forms part of a wider development area which already benefits from planning approval. City of Edinburgh Council approved the wider Planning Permission in Principle in November 2020, with Dandara subsequently securing approval for the detailed matters of the wider site in July 2023.
Mark Sinclair, Land Director at Persimmon Homes East Scotland, said:“This is an exciting opportunity to deliver a significant number of high-quality new homes, on one of the most sought-after sites in Edinburgh.
“The new community will feature zero-carbon-ready homes and offer something for everyone – from first-time buyers and growing families to downsizers. 169 of the homes will also be allocated to help local people in housing need.
“We look forward to getting work under way next year and delivering high-quality, energy-efficient homes for people in the local area.”
If you rent your home and it has a gas boiler, fire or cooker, your landlord must have it checked for safety every year.
That applies whether you rent privately, from a housing association or from the council. With the heating now on most days, it is a good time to make sure yours is up to date.
What the law says
Under the Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998, landlords must have every gas appliance and flue they provide checked at least once every 12 months by a Gas Safe registered engineer.
Your landlord must give you a copy of the record within 28 days of the check, and new tenants should get one before they move in. You can ask for a paper copy if you would rather not have it by email.
What the engineer checks
The engineer looks at each gas appliance your landlord provides, along with its flue and ventilation. They check that it is burning properly, that fumes are clearing safely and that there are no leaks.
The pipework is not strictly part of the yearly check, but the Health and Safety Executive recommends that landlords ask the engineer to test the whole gas system for leaks at the same visit.
What the record should show
The record, often called a CP12 or gas safety certificate, should list each appliance checked and where it is, the date of the check, the property address and your landlord’s (or letting agent’s) name and address.
It should also give the engineer’s name, Gas Safe registration number and signature, plus any safety faults found and what was done about them.
Three quick checks for tenants
Ask to see the engineer’s Gas Safe ID card. The back shows which types of gas work they are qualified to do, and you can also look them up on the Gas Safe Register website.
Look at the date on your last record. If it is more than 12 months old, ask your landlord or letting agent when the next check is booked.
Test your carbon monoxide alarm. Since February 2022, every home in Scotland with a gas boiler, gas fire or other fixed appliance that burns fuel for heat must have one. Press the test button to make sure it works.
Gas appliances you own yourself, such as a cooker you bought, are your own responsibility, so it is worth having those checked too.
If you ever smell gas
Open doors and windows, turn the gas off at the meter if you can, do not use electrical switches or naked flames, and call the National Gas Emergency Service free on 0800 111 999, day or night.
This advice comes from Cullen Plumbing & Heating, a family-run gas, heating and plumbing firm based in Corstorphine and trading for 15 years.
The firm carries out landlord gas safety checks across Edinburgh and West Lothian and is Gas Safe registered, number 523861.
The City of Edinburgh Council’s Housing service is investing in its repairs service for tenants while giving young people the opportunity to kickstart their careers.
The latest intake of nine new trainees through the Modern Apprenticeship programme brings the number of apprentices in the service to 25 – a record high – across trades including painting and decorating, joinery and plumbing.
By developing its in-house team, the Council aims to grow its skilled workforce to support the investment needed to improve the quality of its homes across the city.
Joinery apprentice Harry said:“I’ve mostly been doing repairs and I’ve been enjoying it, all the tenants are really nice.
“I like being able to visualise things, like building kitchens – having a view on what it could look like and then doing it and seeing the result at the end of it. It’s quite a good process, it’s satisfying.
Painting and decorating apprentice Sarah added:“My experience with the Council jobs are great – they all have been so different, so I get a chance to experience different techniques and ways to fix the problems.
Councillor Tim Pogson, Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Convener, said: “In Edinburgh we continue to face a Housing Emergency, with demand for homes high and thousands of people living in temporary accommodation.
“Having said that, we’re making good progress with actions to address these pressures, and thanks to this I’m pleased that the number of people living in unsuitable accommodation continues to drop.
“Trainees brought in through the Modern Apprenticeship programme play a key role in bringing more homes into use and improving the comfort and quality of our tenants’ homes. I’m delighted to see a whole new intake of apprentices developing their skills across our estate, who will eventually have the opportunity of a permanent role at the Council when they complete their training.”
The Council declared a housing emergency in November 2023 in response to rising homelessness, affordability pressures and significant demand for homes in the Capital.
In February, as part of the Housing and Homelessness Budget Investment Strategy, a record £1.6bn was committed to increasing affordable housing and reducing the use of temporary accommodation across the city. Bringing void Council houses back into use through repairs and improvements – and growing the in-house workforce – is central to this.
Apprenticeships at the Council offer paid work while gaining experience and recognised qualifications. Apprenticeships across the Council include social care, childcare, horticulture and business management.
£2 million funding boost for housing payment scheme
A scheme helping low-income households avoid homelessness will receive an additional £2 million this year.
The Discretionary Housing Payment scheme provides direct financial support to low-income households struggling with housing costs and helps people to retain their tenancy in the rented sector.
The additional funding takes this year’s investment in the scheme to a record £117 million. This will help an estimated 100,000 households in Scotland sustain their tenancies. The scheme is the main way the Scottish Government mitigates the impacts of the UK Government’s ‘bedroom tax’ and benefit cap.
Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice and Housing Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “Our Discretionary Housing Payments are a vital lifeline to families at risk of losing their home and help protect people from the UK Government’s damaging bedroom tax and benefit cap policies.
“Our scheme is delivering and providing direct support to low-income households – helping to reduce poverty, safeguard tenancies and prevent homelessness. In Scotland, we offer a level of support not available elsewhere in the UK, and our different approach is working.
“However, the UK Government’s decision to freeze the support given to private renters at 2024 levels means people are struggling to pay their housing costs – this is driving homelessness and putting families at serious risk.
“I am extremely disappointed the Chancellor chose not to use his Budget to end the freeze and give households the breathing space they desperately need.”
Edinburgh councillors and Scottish Ministers must action to improve families’ experiences of social housing and temporary accommodation and private sector accommodation in the capital.
New research has uncovered how inadequate housing in the city is badly affecting families’ health, wellbeing, and overall quality of life.
This small study was carried out by parents living in social housing themselves, with support from The Poverty Alliance, and Muirhouse community organisation Low Income Families Together (LIFT).
The research was commissioned by the Scottish Health Equity Research Unit (SHERU) at the University of Strathclyde and funded by the Health Foundation.
Families in the research say that mould and damp are a common issue, with the solutions offered often feeling temporary, rather than getting to the root of the problem.
The research also highlights issues with repairs and maintenance processes with social housing providers not meeting standards under the ‘Right to Repair’ scheme, where tenants have the right to have small urgent repairs carried out within a given timescale.
Families shared experiences of jumping through hoops to get support with housing issues and parents described feeling ‘left in the dark’ when it comes to hearing back from housing officers.
The report says access to person-centred, timely and compassionate support from social housing providers is vital.
Pauline Nicol-Bowie MBE, Founder and CEO of LIFT, said: “LIFT has been supporting families in North Edinburgh for nine years, and it is heartbreaking that we are still hearing the same stories about housing, homelessness and families living in unsuitable accommodation. In fact, from what we see every day, the situation has become worse.
“Parents shared their experiences, not because it is easy to talk about their struggles, but because they desperately want things to change for their children and for other families.
“These parents have done their part. They have shared their stories, highlighted the problems and helped identify what needs to change. Now they deserve to see those voices turned into action.”
Fiona McHardy, Research Fellow, Scottish Health Equity Research Unit, said: “This community-led research highlights the troubling gap between Scotland’s national ambitions for improving housing and families’ everyday experience.
“Our research shows that the housing emergency is making it increasingly difficult for services to translate policy ambitions into support on the ground.
“In a challenging fiscal climate and wider public sector reform context, closing this implementation gap will require sustained national investment in prevention, stronger alignment between national and local priorities, and coordinated action across services.”
Poverty Alliance Research Manager Dr Laura Robertson said: “Homelessness statistics published last month show that Edinburgh continues to face housing pressures with 3,820 children living in temporary accommodation in the city.
“This research unveils the real, lived experiences of the housing emergency in Edinburgh. Housing is the foundation for health and wellbeing, but the effects of inadequate housing supply and conditions are affecting families’ physical and mental health.
“Families involved in the research want to see compassionate, consistent housing support, improved repairs and maintenance processes, and good quality, habitable housing and green spaces, where their children can play freely and safely.
“Housing is a key driver of child poverty in Scotland and adequate funding of social homes by the Scottish Government is vital to ensure we end the injustice of child poverty in Scotland.”
Additional £700,000 to bring empty homes back into use
Additional funding will help return a number of empty homes into use as affordable housing or temporary accommodation, supporting more families into settled homes of their own.
A further £700,000 is being allocated to help homeowners fund the necessary repairs and refurbishments needed to bring empty homes back into use. The funding, which will be split across 10 local authorities, can be used to establish or extend grant schemes for empty homeowners.
This means that the Scottish Government is now investing £2 million this year to transform empty homes into productive use.
A report published today by the Scottish Empty Homes Partnership shows that a record number of empty homes were returned to active use during 2025-26.
Announcing the fund at the Partnership’s conference in Glasgow yesterday, Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice and Housing Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “We want everyone in Scotland to be able to have a warm, safe and affordable place to call home.
“While house building remains the cornerstone of our approach to increase supply, we’re using every lever available to make sure existing homes support the needs of our communities too. That’s why this funding matters.
“Temporary accommodation can act as an important safety net, but we also recognise the impact that long-term stays can have particularly on children’s wellbeing and stability. This funding may help councils to move households from temporary into settled permanent accommodation.
“Our investment of £5.7 million in the Partnership approach has delivered real results with more than 15,000 empty homes brought back into use since 2010, including a record 2,285 in the last year alone. This latest investment will help local authorities turn more empty homes into affordable housing for people that need them the most.”
Tahmina Nizam, National Manager of the Scottish Empty Homes Partnership, said: “This additional Scottish Government funding to support efforts to tackle empty homes across Scotland’s local authorities will be welcomed throughout the sector.
“We know that sustained, targeted investment in empty homes can deliver real and measurable outcomes, with the Scottish Empty Homes Partnership annual survey showing a record 2,285 formerly empty properties brought back into use. Rather than lying vacant, these are now providing homes for thousands of individuals and families across Scotland.
“This has only been possible through a step-change in empty homes work. Additional investment has enabled not only the expansion and growth of empty homes services across councils, but also the sort of targeted grant support for individual projects that this new funding will help to deliver.
“We look forward to working closely with the Scottish Government, local authorities and others in the sector to ensure that this additional resource can deliver the best possible outcomes, bringing an increasing number of empty homes in Scotland back into use as affordable housing.”
Almost £1m to support ‘ask and act’ projects ahead of implementation of new legislation
Projects helping to prevent homelessness across Scotland will continue until the end of this financial year following additional Scottish Government funding of £945,000.
The Homelessness Prevention Pilots test approaches to early intervention and prevention. This fund will help organisations deliver ‘ask and act’ measures – new duties proposed in the Housing (Scotland) Bill that require public bodies to ask about a person’s housing situation early – and take action to prevent homelessness before it happens.
The extra funding is in addition to £4 million announced for the pilots in August last year and the extension will help maintain prevention capacity while final evaluation findings are completed and considered.
Social Justice and Housing Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville will visit an ‘ask and act’ pilot project in Edinburgh’s Wester Hailes today. Crisis, which is a partner in the project, has also published a report setting out what successful prevention looks like and how to get there.
Ms Somerville said: “Preventing homelessness before it happens is one of the most important steps we can take to improve people’s lives.
“The work being carried out through these pilots is helping us understand how services can work together to identify risk earlier, intervene sooner and provide the support people need to stay in their homes and that is why I am pleased to confirm funding to extend them until March.
“This extension will ensure that valuable learning continues, that specialist expertise is retained, and that partners are supported as we prepare for the implementation of Scotland’s new homelessness prevention duties.
“Our aim is clear: to shift from managing homelessness crises to preventing them in the first place. We are investing more than £213 million this year – partly through the local government settlement – on homelessness measures aimed at delivering better outcomes for individuals, families and communities across Scotland.
“We have a shared ambition with Crisis to end homelessness, it is helpful to see the Changing Course report it has published today, which estimates the costs and the benefits of our new homelessness prevention duties.”
Maeve McGoldrick, Head of Policy at Crisis Scotland said: “Crisis Scotland genuinely welcomes today’s announcement as a strong message that preventing homelessness is a top priority for government.
“The prevention pilots show what is possible when services step in early, and from our frontline experience in Wester Hailes we have seen people keep their home when they would otherwise have been pushed towards homelessness.
“Extending the funding for the next few months provides much needed continuity to all services involved in this innovative work. Importantly, it also allows time to plan for the important next stage: scaling up the learning and best practice across Scotland, in time for national commencement in 2028.”
Scottish charity Right There has welcomed the Scottish Government’s commitment to extend funding for homelessness prevention pilots but highlights that early intervention and prevention must become the norm when dealing with homelessness.
Janet Haugh, CEO of Right Theresaid: “Today’s funding announcement is a very positive signal that the Scottish Government is taking prevention seriously when it comes to homelessness, and while we support any measure to address homelessness in a preventative manner we know that housing is not the sole cause of the problem.
“We need to move towards a more holistic approach that addresses issues such as poverty, mental health, addiction, and family breakdown which all contribute to people losing their homes, if we are serious about ending homelessness for good.”
The Scottish Government has today announced almost £1m to extend pilot projects to help organisations deliver ‘act and ask’ measures brought in under the Housing (Scotland) Act 2026 once the legislation is implemented.
The measures will impose duties requiring public bodies to ask about a person’s housing situation with the aim of being able to take action before homelessness occurs.
Janet Haughadded: “As a nation we are very good at dealing with crises but not so good at putting measures in place to prevent them in the first place.
“We welcome the extension to fund ‘ask and act’ pilots and we hope this will be part of a long term preventative strategy which will address the root causes of homelessness and signal a move away from jumping from one crisis to the next.”
Ask and act measures are expected to commence nationally in 2028.
Burnham confident every rough sleeper will have route off the street by Christmas as funding doubles
Prime Minister sets out confidence that everyone sleeping rough will be offered route off the street before Christmas, backed by a further £432 million to sustain support beyond this winter
New funding to be outlined funding to be confirmed at the Budget on Wednesday, taking total investment behind the Prime Minister’s commitment to £874 million
First-ever Rough Sleeping Summit at Downing Street brings together businesses, charities and local leaders to mobilise action, with major organisations pledging homes, jobs and practical support
The Prime Minister yesterday set out his confidence that everyone sleeping rough will be offered a route off the street or wider support before Christmas, as he announced a further £432 million to help deliver the ambition and sustain support for years to come.
The additional funding, to be set out at the Budget later this week, reflects the Prime Minister’s determination to make tackling rough sleeping a national priority. It will extend support beyond March 2027 and through to the end of this Parliament, taking total investment behind his commitment to £874 million.
It marks the next stage of the pledge the Prime Minister made on his first day in Downing Street: to stop accepting rough sleeping as a fact of life and unite the country behind a mission to end it.
Urgent action is already under way, with specialist outreach teams and new bedspaces operating in Coventry, and further provision being rolled out in places including Plymouth and Camden over the coming weeks. Backed by the initial £442 million, the programme is focused on ensuring everyone who needs it is offered a route off the streets before Christmas.
Yesterday’s additional investment will ensure that support does not end when winter does, providing continuity for frontline services and helping people move into settled accommodation and rebuild their lives.
But government cannot end rough sleeping alone. That is why the Prime Minister hosted the first-ever Rough Sleeping Summit at Downing Street, bringing together businesses, charities, housing providers and local leaders to mobilise the resources, expertise and commitment needed to deliver lasting change.
Organisations attending the summit are making significant new commitments.
The National Housing Federation will work with housing associations to identify at least 2,000 potential homes and bedspaces, including empty properties that could be brought back into use. Virgin Media O2 will provide practical digital support to frontline organisations, while L’Oréal Group will launch a pioneering Social Salon partnership with St Mungo’s and Haircuts4Homeless.
Together, these commitments will help people access not just a safe place to stay, but the homes, employment opportunities and support they need to build a more secure future.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham said: “Rough sleeping isn’t a fact of life. It’s a thing governments either choose to accept or don’t.
“Well I don’t accept it. That’s why we’re doubling funding so that people aren’t just offered a safe route off the streets this winter but have that same support right through the rest of this Parliament too.
“But we can’t do it alone. If we’re going to end rough sleeping, we need every part of society behind us on this. So today we’re bringing together businesses, charities and local leaders in Downing Street to make sure this is a solution that lasts.”
Secretary of State for Housing Angela Rayner said: “This is a big ambition – we know that. But we will not back down from making sure everyone has the offer of a route off the streets this Christmas.
“This summit is about bringing every part of society together behind that mission. Ending homelessness is not only a moral imperative – it will make our communities and our country better off.”
“The first step is giving people a roof over their head and freedom from the nightly struggle to find somewhere safe to sleep. But Christmas is only the beginning and that’s why we will keep working together to tackle the root causes of homelessness and end rough sleeping for good.”
Chancellor of the Exchequer John Healey said: “No one should ever have to sleep rough, which is why we are doubling our investment to more people and providing a chance to break the cycle and end sleeping on the streets of our country – not just this Christmas, but for the years to come.”
Monday’s Summit brought organisations from across society together to play their part, with new pledges including:
National Housing Federation working with housing associations to identify at least 2000 potential homes and bedspaces, including empty homes for people moving off the streets, working closely with local authorities.
Social Bite forming a new partnership with the government to expand its modular supported accommodation model, combining a settled home with intensive and community-based support.
Salvation Army working with their housing association Salvation Army Homes and public-sector partners to develop social housing, modular accommodation and move-on options, including provision for people with complex needs for whom mainstream accommodation may not be suitable.
UnLtd / Key Fund partnering with government to help social ventures create sustainable jobs for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness.
Virgin Media O2 providing new support around devices, data and connectivity, in partnership with charity Refuge, helping women and their children affected by domestic abuse and experiencing homelessness stay connected to services and support.
IKEA combining direct funding, advocacy, employment programmes, community partnerships, and customer and public awareness-raising campaigns to tackle both the immediate impacts and underlying causes of homelessness.
L’Oreal Group launching an innovative ‘Social Salon’ partnership in the UK with St Mungo’s andHaircuts4Homeless, supporting rough sleepers with wellbeing provision.
Morrisons Foundation pledging to launch the Good Food Fund, providing £500,000 in grants to support communities to tackle food insecurity where it hits hardest, including supporting charities providing relief to people who are sleeping rough or at risk of homelessness, in support of the Prime Minister’s drive.
ReGenerate launching a partnership with Liverpool City Region, in coordination with the Liverpool Mayor’s new Homelessness Taskforce, to find ways in which businesses can do even more to tackle homelessness such as through driving pathways into employment across the region
Comic Relief committing further resources to tackle homelessness and housing insecurity, helping to raise public support and awareness in 2027.
Landsec offering access to its screens at Piccadilly and others across its retail portfolio to amplify homelessness charities and causes nationwide.
The Faith and Homelessness Collective, mobilising action across a group of 100+ church leaders and leaders of faith-inspired homelessness and housing organisations to support the PM’s instruction to offer everyone a route off the streets this winter and prevention in the long-term.
Over 30 organisations and investors from the impact economy – representing billions of pounds – signalling support to the PM’s drive and working with Government to bring more investment into move-on homes, support the organisations that help people stay housed, open up jobs and training, and put more money into prevention.
A coalition of philanthropic funders signalling their commitment to millions of pounds of investment into preventing homelessness, including a £10 million commitment from Julia Rausing Trust, and Henry Smith Foundation providing £500,000 of match funding with Birmingham City Council, to support Greater Change in providing relational support to rough sleepers in the city.
Shocking new analysis carried out by Living Rent and Leith Harbour and Newhaven Community Council on data obtained by Edinburgh Green Councillor Chas Booth reveals that only three in ten licensed Short Term Lets in the capital have planning permission.
Meanwhile a quarter have withdrawn a planning application and just under a quarter have not even applied for planning consent at all.
The analysis covers secondary lets only – in other words letting an entire property that is not someone’s home, and does not include people letting out a room in their own home. The research was released more than four years after the introduction of Edinburgh’s Short Term Let control area, in September 2022, which declared that a Short Term Let in the city was “a material change of use requiring planning permission”.
The analysis was based on comparing the publicly available register of short term let licences with data on every short term let planning application made in the city since 2018, obtained by Cllr Chas Booth.
This analysis shows that:
1,225 (69.84%) of Edinburgh’s 1,754 licensed Short Term Lets do not have planning permission (secondary letting)
465 (26.51%) licensed Short Term Lets have applied for planning permission and then withdrawn the application before it was determined (secondary letting)
425 (24.23%) licensed Short Term Lets have never applied for planning permission (secondary letting)
Commenting on the analysis, Cllr Chas Booth, who obtained the data, said: “Edinburgh’s short term let control area was meant to ensure every STL in the city had planning permission. Yet four years on from its introduction, it clearly isn’t working. Residents living next to unregulated lets have to put up with the disruption that brings, and every STL is one fewer home in a city with a housing emergency.”
“This analysis shows two things. First, the Council isn’t doing enough to enforce the planning and licensing system, and that must improve. But more importantly, it shows the Scottish Government’s legislation is not fit for purpose. There is a loophole as big as a barn door that hundreds of STL owners are exploiting, and residents are paying the price.
“Ministers need to wake up and smell the coffee and act urgently to close it.”
Booth added: “I’m very grateful to Living Rent and Leith Harbour and Newhaven Community Council for carrying out this detailed analysis. If community volunteers can establish the scale of the problem, the Scottish Government has no excuse for not acknowledging it and fixing it.”
Jon ‘Geo’ Camp from Leith Harbour and Newhaven Community Council, who undertook the analysis, said: “Our community council has heard from many residents concerned about short term lets, and this analysis shows why.
“A significant number of licensed lets have no planning permission, and many of them applied for it and then withdrew before a decision was made.
“Residents need to know the system that regulates these lets is working properly, and too often they don’t believe that it is.
“We will keep listening to our community, and keep working with councillors and MSPs to make sure these issues are heard and resolved.”
‘WE’LL TRANSFORM THIS FORMAL INDUSTRIAL SITE INTO A NEW COASTAL TOWN AND COMMUNITY’ – COUNCIL LEADER JANE MEAGHER
First Minister John Swinney has marked the start of construction on one of Scotland’s largest net zero housing developments as part of the latest chapter of Granton Waterfront regeneration,
The development will provide 847 net zero homes, including 387 affordable homes, 14 commercial units and a new primary school on former industrial land.
It is part of a wider £1.3 billion transformation of Edinburgh’s waterfront that will create 3,500 homes, new leisure facilities and Scotland’s largest coastal park.
The First Minister joined local school pupils at the site, including young people who have benefited from construction courses supported through Scottish Government investment in Granton’s regeneration.
John Swinney said: “This is one of the largest regeneration projects Scotland has seen in decades and a major vote of confidence in Edinburgh’s future.
“For years, people have looked across this waterfront and seen disused industrial land. Today, we are laying the foundations for a new community that will be home to thousands of people.
“Through our investment, hundreds of families will have affordable, energy-efficient homes as we transform Edinburgh’s waterfront into a thriving neighbourhood with new homes, schools and businesses.
“We are putting the people of Granton at the heart of this transformation, with better transport links, new green spaces, apprenticeships, skills training and investment in local organisations.”
Jane Meagher, Leader of City of Edinburgh Council, said: “This is a big step forward for Granton and the whole city, as construction begins on the first phase of one of the largest public sector led regeneration projects of its time.
“Through our joint efforts we’ll transform this former industrial site into a new coastal town and community. It’s important that those living in neighbouring communities benefit from the investment we’re making in the area.
“Our Place Accelerator approach will ensure residents see the benefits, including more green spaces to enjoy and opportunities for local young people to gain hands on construction skills and qualifications through work on site.”
Telford College
Audrey Cumberford, Principal of Edinburgh College, which works with Cruden Homes to deliver Granton Waterfront Construction Pathway courses for school and college pupils, said: “Edinburgh College has been at the heart of the Granton community for many years and we’re delighted to be involved in the next stage of its regeneration.
“Not only will this project provide hundreds of new homes in the area, this is already providing hundreds of opportunities for students to get hands-on experience in the construction industry.
“These opportunities could be transformative for our learners – allowing them to gain vital skills and develop a career in the sector.”
