Responding to Edinburgh's Housing Emergency

Liberal Democrat councillors in Edinburgh are fighting for more affordable and social rent housing.

As the annual housing budget goes through the City Chambers, the five parties across Edinburgh will set their priorities. While the Scottish Government have reinstated the Affordable Housing Supply Programme (AHSP), they've only restored funding to 2023/24 levels which is insufficient to addressing the scale of the challenge when the Housing Emergency was first declared.

• In 2024, Lib Dem Councillors wanted to see a boost to the Home Access Referral Team to help reduce the average waiting time for tenants moving into new homes and ensure adaptations and repairs are as swift as possible.

   

• Additionally, while a lot of Council-owned land lies empty, there are opportunities to empower Council tenants to cultivate and grow their own food, should they wish. Lib Dem Councillors will support an expansion of the ‘Right to Grow’ programme.

   

• Roads and parks maintenance should not come out of Council tenants' rents, so we will explore where possible the Roads department adopting roadways and the Parks department maintaining greenspace that lie within Council-owned housing developments.

   

• Lastly, as rent increases can be difficult, we will support the increase of the ‘Tenant Hardship Fund’ programme.

Housing spokesperson Councillor Pauline Flannery said “We need to be realistic about the economics. Successive Scottish Government cuts have harmed our city. In 2023, we supported a progressive approach to tackling the housing emergency which prioritises dignity and joined-up thinking. Our 2025/26 Budget Proposal builds on that. We will negotiate with other parties in the City Chambers to try and get the best deal for both tenants of Council-owned housing, and the thousands of people currently on waiting lists”.

The full Liberal Democrat Council Group Housing Revenue Account proposal can be read at edinburgh.gov.uk.