The Economist claimed last year that students in Edinburgh were “in for a treat” when it comes to housing. Tell that to the student who couch-surfed for three months before finding a flat, or the one who had to live out of her car while commuting from Stirling. Last year, a survey found that one in five Edinburgh students started term technically homeless.
And this isn’t just a student problem: families wait over a decade for council housing, while thousands are stuck in B&Bs and temporary accommodation. Edinburgh’s housing market is in crisis. Decades of underbuilding have led to a severe council housing shortage and surging private rents.
The result? Residents are priced out of the market and forced to rely on council housing in a vicious cycle. Over 23,000 people now wait over a decade to finally get a proper home. While people queue, Holyrood dithers. Emergency rent control measures were ended last year, and no new measures will be introduced. Instead, we have to wait for the Housing Bill to be passed, something not expected to happen for years.
The best solution is of course to build more. Yes, this takes time, but people can’t wait a decade for a proper home. To limit the pain now rent control is an appealing, and if done right, effective option.
The biggest opponents, of course, are landlords. Every time rent control is mentioned they warn of impending collapse. Study after study shows otherwise. Cities across Europe and the United States have consistently implemented rent control with little to no consequences. The debate resembles the one surrounding the implementation of a minimum wage in the 90s, two decades later it has not resulted in the unemployment many warned of. Rent control is to be included in the Housing Bill, but it is necessary now, not in several years’ time when the situation has deteriorated significantly more.
Rent control would even benefit the government by reducing the need for council housing. The state is already paying for the crisis: £720m on temporary accommodation over the past 5 years and nearly £100m a year on housing benefits to help people struggling with housing costs. Letting rental costs rise unchecked would not only be cruel but also hugely expensive.
Rent control is not a permanent solution though, building more is. Rejigging the regulatory framework is a start, but not enough. As economist Laurie MacFarlane argues, the state must play a more active role, accelerating building which would reduce the shortfall and would even save money in the long run. Any money spent by the government on building would be recouped in savings on the large amounts that are currently spent on temporary accommodation and housing benefits.
The outlook for students is bleak. Student accommodation is one of the only things still being built, as they are some of the most profitable types of housing to build. However, these are glitzy, “luxury” accommodations, often starting at £900 a month.
Not exactly a “treat” if barely anyone can afford them. Besides, only first year students can reliably get these rooms, students in later years of study are thrown into the same broken rental market. The crisis in Edinburgh is in its early years, but look at places like Dublin or Groningen to see where this road leads us. Hours long commutes, couch surfing, hotel stays, and constant stress to secure your next roof. They show us that the crisis can deepen, warning us of what can happen if we don’t act.
“office building” by Daveybot is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
Related
Edinburgh Housing Crisis: We Need Housing Reform Fast
The Economist claimed last year that students in Edinburgh were “in for a treat” when it comes to housing. Tell that to the student who couch-surfed for three months before finding a flat, or the one who had to live out of her car while commuting from Stirling. Last year, a survey found that one in five Edinburgh students started term technically homeless.
And this isn’t just a student problem: families wait over a decade for council housing, while thousands are stuck in B&Bs and temporary accommodation. Edinburgh’s housing market is in crisis. Decades of underbuilding have led to a severe council housing shortage and surging private rents.
The result? Residents are priced out of the market and forced to rely on council housing in a vicious cycle. Over 23,000 people now wait over a decade to finally get a proper home. While people queue, Holyrood dithers. Emergency rent control measures were ended last year, and no new measures will be introduced. Instead, we have to wait for the Housing Bill to be passed, something not expected to happen for years.
The best solution is of course to build more. Yes, this takes time, but people can’t wait a decade for a proper home. To limit the pain now rent control is an appealing, and if done right, effective option.
The biggest opponents, of course, are landlords. Every time rent control is mentioned they warn of impending collapse. Study after study shows otherwise. Cities across Europe and the United States have consistently implemented rent control with little to no consequences. The debate resembles the one surrounding the implementation of a minimum wage in the 90s, two decades later it has not resulted in the unemployment many warned of. Rent control is to be included in the Housing Bill, but it is necessary now, not in several years’ time when the situation has deteriorated significantly more.
Rent control would even benefit the government by reducing the need for council housing. The state is already paying for the crisis: £720m on temporary accommodation over the past 5 years and nearly £100m a year on housing benefits to help people struggling with housing costs. Letting rental costs rise unchecked would not only be cruel but also hugely expensive.
Rent control is not a permanent solution though, building more is. Rejigging the regulatory framework is a start, but not enough. As economist Laurie MacFarlane argues, the state must play a more active role, accelerating building which would reduce the shortfall and would even save money in the long run. Any money spent by the government on building would be recouped in savings on the large amounts that are currently spent on temporary accommodation and housing benefits.
The outlook for students is bleak. Student accommodation is one of the only things still being built, as they are some of the most profitable types of housing to build. However, these are glitzy, “luxury” accommodations, often starting at £900 a month.
Not exactly a “treat” if barely anyone can afford them. Besides, only first year students can reliably get these rooms, students in later years of study are thrown into the same broken rental market. The crisis in Edinburgh is in its early years, but look at places like Dublin or Groningen to see where this road leads us. Hours long commutes, couch surfing, hotel stays, and constant stress to secure your next roof. They show us that the crisis can deepen, warning us of what can happen if we don’t act.
“office building” by Daveybot is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
Share this:
Like this:
Related