Shelter Scotland warns of inevitable displacement in Edinburgh ahead of August

As Edinburgh hosts an event-filled August, people experiencing homelessness are at risk of having the vital safety net taken away, Shelter Scotland has warned.

With the Fringe, Oasis and AC/DC happening in the same month, it’s no doubt there will be a buzz and a ‘Rock n Roll Dream’. However, as tourists flood in, hotel and B&B rooms are booked out – leaving those at risk of being homeless with nowhere to go.

Shelter Scotland has warned that large scale events create a bottleneck situation on the housing emergency with people experiencing homelessness on the sharp end. With limited accommodation available to use as a stopgap, or with hotel accommodation being used in place of suitable temporary accommodation.

While the City of Edinburgh Council appears to have become less reliant on using hotels to temporarily house people and suspended council house bidding, the housing and homelessness charity warns it won’t be enough. Shelter Scotland adds, only long-term support and funding from the Scottish Government to the City of Edinburgh Council can ensure the incidents that have been seen during large scale events don’t happen again.

Shelter Scotland Director, Alison Watson said:

“It’s welcome news that the City of Edinburgh Council is using hotels and B&Bs less frequently. However, it’s clear there is still a lot of work to be done – and no real sense of urgency. As tourists flood in, those on the sharp end of the housing emergency are at risk of having the safety net pulled away.

“With tourists descending on Edinburgh, hotels are longer available for those experiencing homelessness when there is nothing else to offer. At last count the Council failed to offer accommodation more than 1,000 times in six months at the last count. That led to the Council suspending council house bidding and using all available homes for people experiencing homelessness. But we know that even this isn’t enough.
“We want to see an end to hotel use but with more and more people in need of a roof, and decades of underinvestment, they are a vital last resort.

“With large-scale events happening more frequently – and the annual Fringe Festival drawing global crowds – we need immediate action. The City of Edinburgh Council needs a plan to deal with large scale events, but they also need support from the Scottish Government to address the root causes of the housing emergency and provide lasting stability for the Edinburgh community.

“We know the Council can’t solve can't tackle this on its own. It must be given the resources needed to meet demand, including a greater share of Scottish Government funding. The Council must ensure everyone gets accommodation and nobody should be turned away every time a major event comes to town.”