Revealed in recent committee meetings and reports, the City of Edinburgh Council has left a whopping total of £60m from the housing budget unspent as of the year’s end. Aptly defined as “scandalous,” the finances evidence a disgusting inaction from the council where decisive steps are in dire want.
The total budget – split up as £14.3m leftover for building council houses, and £45m for the purchasing of existing buildings in conversion efforts – portrays a failure of systemic proportions for a so-called “absolute priority,” as per convener and Councillor Mandy Watt. Even excluding the further £11m remaining of the homelessness budget, the dereliction already present in multiple sectors is negligence of criminal proportions, under the 1987 Housing Act; our population in need has been unabashedly abandoned, with little progress to show in the two years since the city declared its housing emergency.
It is undeniable that the lucrative demand for purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA), and thus the presence of students city wide, have cultivated a massive strain upon local residents and the housing market. For the most part, we students have existed as an invasive species that works to further push the native population into the outskirts. This is to the extent that the council are considering restricting future PBSA developments. However, the main excuses provided for the delayed spending (according to Councillor Watt) were market pressures, the shift from unlicensed HMOs and B&Bs, and ensuring good value for taxpayers’ money. What is unforgivable from these explanations is the notion that letting homeless people remain on the freezing streets while scouring for the best bargain, during your self-declared ‘emergency,’ rather than ensuring that any accommodation is provided, is ‘good value’ of money. While mindful of the lethargic bureaucracy inherent in local councils, the lack of any concrete solutions screams anything but local prioritisation.
The example that should be followed can instead be found in the dozens of grassroot organisations in Edinburgh, such as Cyrenians, GCP, Rowan Alba, and many more. From free food, job support, workshops and help gaining tenancies, the community support of the local charities are invaluable social welfare for residents in need. Furthermore, the David Hume Institute released a briefing for creditable policy improvements in 2025, which is an important and realistic revival of the nationwide housing issue.
What has become clear by the year-end statistics is the inability of the Council to adapt to blatant issues existing for years, and the ever-growing importance of communal organisation to lessen the strain. As for the students of this university, remind yourselves that you are not tourists of this city, and your presence here has a very real impact everyday. Treat residents with kindness, donate what you can, and consider joining Students for Action on Homelessness (SLURP) society or spending some time volunteering at one of the aforementioned charities.
“edinburgh tenements” by zoetnet is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
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Edinburgh Council’s “Scandalous” Inaction Towards the Housing Crisis
Revealed in recent committee meetings and reports, the City of Edinburgh Council has left a whopping total of £60m from the housing budget unspent as of the year’s end. Aptly defined as “scandalous,” the finances evidence a disgusting inaction from the council where decisive steps are in dire want.
The total budget – split up as £14.3m leftover for building council houses, and £45m for the purchasing of existing buildings in conversion efforts – portrays a failure of systemic proportions for a so-called “absolute priority,” as per convener and Councillor Mandy Watt. Even excluding the further £11m remaining of the homelessness budget, the dereliction already present in multiple sectors is negligence of criminal proportions, under the 1987 Housing Act; our population in need has been unabashedly abandoned, with little progress to show in the two years since the city declared its housing emergency.
It is undeniable that the lucrative demand for purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA), and thus the presence of students city wide, have cultivated a massive strain upon local residents and the housing market. For the most part, we students have existed as an invasive species that works to further push the native population into the outskirts. This is to the extent that the council are considering restricting future PBSA developments. However, the main excuses provided for the delayed spending (according to Councillor Watt) were market pressures, the shift from unlicensed HMOs and B&Bs, and ensuring good value for taxpayers’ money. What is unforgivable from these explanations is the notion that letting homeless people remain on the freezing streets while scouring for the best bargain, during your self-declared ‘emergency,’ rather than ensuring that any accommodation is provided, is ‘good value’ of money. While mindful of the lethargic bureaucracy inherent in local councils, the lack of any concrete solutions screams anything but local prioritisation.
The example that should be followed can instead be found in the dozens of grassroot organisations in Edinburgh, such as Cyrenians, GCP, Rowan Alba, and many more. From free food, job support, workshops and help gaining tenancies, the community support of the local charities are invaluable social welfare for residents in need. Furthermore, the David Hume Institute released a briefing for creditable policy improvements in 2025, which is an important and realistic revival of the nationwide housing issue.
What has become clear by the year-end statistics is the inability of the Council to adapt to blatant issues existing for years, and the ever-growing importance of communal organisation to lessen the strain. As for the students of this university, remind yourselves that you are not tourists of this city, and your presence here has a very real impact everyday. Treat residents with kindness, donate what you can, and consider joining Students for Action on Homelessness (SLURP) society or spending some time volunteering at one of the aforementioned charities.
“edinburgh tenements” by zoetnet is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
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