According to the BBC, Head of Housing at Fife Council, John Mills, has warned that Edinburgh and Glasgow in particular are suffering damages from Scotland’s housing crisis.
Mills identified increased homelessness, construction inflation, and increased rent as causes of the crisis.
However, he rooted these issues in the post-COVID-19 collapsing of relationships, meaning that an increasing number of people are seeking housing in an already stressed environment.
Mills has called for the Government to build at scale and purchase affordable homes.
The Scottish Parliament declared a national “housing emergency” in May 2024.
The City of Edinburgh Council has set a goal of 9,500 new homes to be built by 2029, using the Government’s proposed investment total of £4.9bn.
There is a significant demand for temporary housing, which has exacerbated the crisis.
According to the BBC, Scotland’s average rent today is £999 – a significant increase from an average of £673 in 2015.
An exchange student at the University of Edinburgh commented on the difficulty in finding a flat for one semester:
“Not being able to view places, it was extremely difficult. Lots of places had a minimum tenancy of one year.
“But I think eventually they could sense I was quite desperate for a place. I was finally able to get a flat two weeks before classes started.”
As housing developments become increasingly crowded, often on short notice, transportation issues have also arisen. Bus crowds and travel times have become less predictable.
One student commuting to Old Town from Leith told The Student: “This year has been the most crowded I’ve ever seen it.”
Another effect of the housing crisis is decreased efficiency in repairs and upkeep for existing properties.
One Slateford resident commented that the ceiling and stairway in her building had been in disrepair for several months.
When asked about her outlook on the housing crisis, she stated:
“I think everyone’s getting impatient. I hope they can build houses quickly, but I also hope they can get to us, too.”
“Warrender Park Road, Marchmont” by qwghlm is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.