Edinburgh Council’s Senior Housing Staff meet North Edinburgh Parents Action Group at Royston Wardieburn Community Centre
Last Wednesday (27th September), North Edinburgh Parents Action Group met with senior members of the Council’s housing management team and the Chair of the Housing Committee to discuss the issues raised in their report ‘SOS North Edinburgh’s Housing Emergency’ .
The group used the meeting to highlight many of the housing problems which sadly are common in most areas of North Edinburgh including mould and dampness, overcrowding, anti-social behaviour and an unacceptable repairs service.
Shocking
Group members shared their own personal stories about how these issues were impacting on their familiies’ physical and mental health. The housing staff and the chair of the Housing Committee were visibly shocked at some of the stories shared by members.
The senior housing staff gave a commitment to work with the parents group to address these issues as a matter of urgency. They also agreed to work closely with local families who have been involved in the project to try to resolve their ongoing housing problems and will use this process to identify what needs to change.
Susan Rowand, Chairperson of the Parents Group, said: “People have been waiting so long to get their housing issues fixed, many of them can’t wait any longer. We really hope that things begin to happen soon.
“A follow up meeting has been planned for the end of November to update the group on progress made.”
A group member added: ” I feel pain and anger at what my family have been through, maybe something will happen now – I don’t know.”
Next Steps
After the October break, group members will meet with Dr Olivia Swann, Clinical Lecturer in Paediatric Infectious Diseases at Edinburgh University.
Dr Swann worked with the parents group earlier this year on their publication and told group members that “strong scientific evidence has shown that poor housing can affect someone’s physical and mental health throughout their life.”
This is a very worrying concern for group members and highlights the need to address the area’s housing emergency now.
North Edinburgh Parents Action Group are inviting everyone who are experiencing housing issues to Royston Wardieburn Community Centre for Housing Advice and Information morning.
Come along for some very needed advice and to connect with others, who are experiencing same issues.
LOCAL PARENTS LAUNCH DAMNING REPORT ON HOUSING CRISIS
North Edinburgh Parents Action Group has launched an exhibition and publication highlighting the horrific housing conditions local people are being forced to live in.
The group also screened a new film about the lived experience of a local woman’s heart-breaking attempts to secure a decent home for her children.
North Edinburgh Parents Group hope that the event held at Royston Wardieburn Community Centre yesterday will draw attention to the significant impact that poor housing is having on local families’ physical and mental health and will send a clear message to politicians at all levels of government that urgent action is required to tackle North Edinburgh’s housing crisis.
Guests were welcomed by Royston Wardieburn Community Centre chairperson Billy Fitzpatrick and the event was launched by Forth SNP councillor Stuart Dobbin, who has been taking a particular interest and holding surgeries on the issue:
“Living in a home safe from Damp and Mould should be a basic right that all Council and Private tenants should enjoy.
“This important event was made all the more powerful and moving by hearing the testimony of women who, with their families, have to live with Damp and Mould and the exhibition showing pictures from inside their homes.
“Dampness creates a risk to our physical health and our mental health. It impacts on the future life chances of our children. And if not addressed, it places additional burdens on our doctors and the wider NHS services.
“This is the issue that I am most passionate about addressing as a Councillor. By my estimate about one quarter of all Council dampness cases in Edinburgh are in North Edinburgh.
“I have been raising cases and campaigning within the Council for faster action to be taken to eradicate damp from tenants homes, and as a result, the Council has now set up a dedicated, skilled team to do just that. Early days and a lot to do.
“I want to hear from residents who have damp and mould, or are having difficulty getting the problems addressed.
“I will be at Pilton Community Health Project tomorrow morning (Friday) from 09.15-11.00 if anyone needs to discuss this or any other matter that I can help with. Or you can email me – cllr.stuart.dobbin@edinburgh.gov.uk”
Few who attended the event could fail to have been moved by the heart-rending stories of local woman struggling to be heard. The women, for many of whom English is not their first language, bravely shared their dreadful experiences to a packed room.
As one said after the event: “Speaking to a big crowd made me very nervous and I wasn’t sure that I would be able to do it.
“But we all did do it – we had to do it. We want people to hear how we are living.”
A spokesperson for the group said: “We understand that there are no simple solutions or easy fixes to Edinburgh’s current housing emergency.
“However, Edinburgh is one of the richest cities in the country and it is time that all levels of government – Edinburgh Council, the Scottish Government and the UK government – come together and prioritise spending on improving housing conditions in this city.
“We are serious about our demands and we are prepared to do whatever it takes to secure a decent place to live. We hope that we do not have to resort to a class action which is the route that over 50 tenants from various local authorities have taken in order to secure a warm, safe home.
“However, nothing is off the table. Enough is enough!”
Sara, who spoke at the event, said: “We welcomed the opportunity to tell our stories and have our voices heard.
“We’re fed up of nobody listening to us and being blamed for causing the problem. It’s not our fault. It’s well documented that people have been having problems with dampness and mould down here for decades and its time that something was done about it for once and for all”.
Susan, another member of the group, added: “We are really disappointed that the ‘high heid yins’ didn’t come to our event to hear our stories and see for themselves the conditions that people are having to put up with.
“We will be making sure that they all get a copy of our report and we will be expecting to hear from them soon about how they are going to respond to our demands. They need to understand that we’re not going away.”
Dr Olivia Swann, Clinical Lecturer in Paediatric Infectious Disease at Edinburgh University, also spoke at the event.
Thanking the women for their moving testimonies, Olivia’s presentation explained how homes are much more than just physical structures and made clear that “strong scientific evidence has shown that poor housing can affect someone’s physical and mental health throughout their life”.
Sara says this is an extremely worrying fact for those of us with young children who have been living in mouldy homes for most of their young lives.
Dawn Anderson, Director of Pilton Community Health Project (PCHP), who attended the event along with members of her Board, including former Leith MP/MSP and Holyrood Health Secretary Malcolm Chisholm, said: “We are very concerned about the problems the parents group has raised.
“PCHP has been supporting people to get help for some time. One parent has been working with Media Education on a new film featuring the nine year battle of Anita, a local women, desperately trying to escape her damp house”.
Dawn explained how it was fitting that the parents action group had called their exhibition ‘Home Sweet Home’: “It’s 40 years since PCHP was established in North Edinburgh and dampness and ill-health was one of the first issues the campaigners worked on. Meetings with local parents led to a womens’ group forming.
“They produced a slide show called “Home Sweet Home” and presented it to health professionals in the area. This resulted in The Scottish Executive backing a research project conducted by the University of Edinburgh who established a direct link between dampness and ill-health all those years ago.
“There have been countless studies on this issue over the years which have drawn the same conclusions. Sadly, we can see from Anita’s film and from the parents stories and photographs, little has changed and family’s in the area are still faced with health threatening living conditions.”
The Group is already planning a follow-up event to build on the momentum created by yesterday’s launch.
HOME
A poem by members of North Edinburgh Parents Action Group
Survey findings reveal Edinburgh’s ‘bounce-back to better health’
Record levels of residents are feeling positive and say they’re satisfied with life in Edinburgh, according to a new survey produced for the city council.
According to the city’s 17th annual Edinburgh by Numbers – a statistical snapshot of the Capital collated by the Council – feelings of ‘worthwhile’ are the highest they have been for a decade.
Echoing the findings of an Edinburgh Partnership survey last year, which revealed 93% of residents are happy with life in the Capital, improved levels of resident happiness and life satisfaction have been recorded by Edinburgh by Numbers despite a small increase in anxiety levels.
Alongside personal wellness scores, the health of Edinburgh’s environment and economy is also on the up – with the data confirming Scotland’s Capital has the highest percentage of residents who consider the climate emergency to be ‘urgent’.
It comes as greenhouse emissions drop by 37.9% in Edinburgh as part of concerted efforts towards net zero by 2030, with more than half of city journeys under two miles now being made by walking or cycling, according to the findings. Public transport satisfaction rates have also hit 86%, which is significantly above the Scottish average.
Pointing to the resilience and growth of the Capital’s economy, Edinburgh by Numbers data suggests job opportunities in the city remain some of the best in the UK and that unemployment rates have more than halved from 6.3% to 2.6% in less than 10 years.
In continued signs of Edinburgh’s post-covid rebound, Edinburgh’s economy is listed in the data as the UK’s most productive economy outside of London, at 32.7% higher regional GVA per person than Glasgow.
Visitor numbers are also starting to return to pre-covid levels with a noticeable increase in visits from October to December, making Edinburgh second in the UK for overnight visits after London.
The data suggests there are over 170,000 students across all education levels but overall, Edinburgh’s population is aging. And while poverty levels are lower than national averages, tackling poverty and reducing inequality remains a key Council priority and a slight increase in relative poverty has been recorded following the cost-of-living crisis.
Council Leader Cammy Day said: “This year’s Edinburgh by Numbers paints a feel-good picture of a successful, growing Capital city where people really enjoy living and working.
“It’s great to see so much evidence of people living well, feeling happy and caring about climate change here in Edinburgh. The data points to good news for business, for jobs and for tourism and I think it’s fair to say that Edinburgh’s economic – and environmental – outlook is healthy.
“There has been a joint effort in recent years to work together as one city on everything from poverty to climate change, supporting the Festivals and our parks, ensuring Edinburgh remains a special, welcoming and unique place to live.
“Of course, with this good news comes the other side of the same coin: the pressure of complex population changes on our core services and on the people who live and work here.
“The recovery of tourism provides a welcome boost to our economy, but this means greater use and upkeep of facilities and isn’t always accessible for everyone. Likewise, a thriving economy does not mean that every resident is able to benefit equally, and we face a growing housing emergency and pressure supporting our people and our planet.
“That’s why we’re set on becoming the first city to introduce a visitor levy when the legislation comes into force. It’s also why the Council budget we set in February prioritises poverty, climate, and key services for residents. I’m pleased to see the Edinburgh by Numbers findings demonstrate just how vital this is.
“We’ve still got work to do, but we’ll continue to do everything in our power to reach our ambitious goals to eradicate poverty and become net-zero by 2030. We need the city with us though, and the success depends on everyone’s participation and will be the result of collective efforts.”
Sarah Boyd, Managing Director of Lothian Buses, said: “It’s really encouraging to read that satisfaction with public transport in Edinburgh sits at an average of 86%, which is significantly above the Scottish average of 58%.
“Our teams work incredibly hard to deliver sustainable, affordable, and reliable bus services for all, so it’s particularly heartening to read that overall satisfaction is so high.
“We are continuing to grow our network following a strong performance throughout 2023 which saw Lothian deliver for more than 110 million customers – an increase of 17% on the previous year.”
FEELGOOD EDINBURGH? LIKE F***!
AN INVITATION FROM NORTH EDINBURGH PARENTS ACTION GROUP
On behalf of the North Edinburgh Parents’ Action Group
You are invited to their launch of their photographic exhibition and publication with local stories and medical experts discussing the impact of poor housing on mental health and wellbeing.
Home Sweet Home?
10am to 12.30pm on Wednesday 1 May
Refreshments and lunch included at Royston Wardieburn Community Centre
