Plea for Council to build over 7,000 social homes in the next 5 years
The Charity Shelter Scotland are urging the City of Edinburgh Council to make building social housing a priority - as talks over a new administration progress
Last updated 17th May 2022
Councillors in Edinburgh are being urged to make building social housing a priority over the next five years.
Ahead of the election more than 3,000 people in the Capital signed a Shelter Scotland petition to make the case.
A pledge was signed by both the SNP group and Labour.
Now it looks like the SNP could be on the verge of sealing an agreement with the Greens.
Council figures show the city needs at least seven thousand homes to be built over the next 5 years - the time until the next council election.
Director of Shelter Scotland, Alison Watson, said:
“Social housing ends homelessness. It protects against worsening child poverty and helps our communities thrive. It is easily one of the best things the new council can do to improve our city.
"Despite that, none of Edinburgh’s previous administrations have delivered the homes the council’s own figures say the city needs.
“Before this election, the parties now negotiating a new power sharing agreement promised the 3,360 citizens in Edinburgh who signed the social housing petition that they would make building at least 7,000 social homes a top priority. Now they need to deliver.”
Alison added:
“Communities across Edinburgh are suffering as a direct result of the housing emergency. They will not easily forgive or forget if councillors do not deliver what they’ve promised.
"This is one thing the parties can agree on and something the people of Edinburgh will expect to see on the first pages of their new plan for the city.”