Shelter Scotland welcomes emergency action from the City of Edinburgh Council

Shelter Scotland has welcomed emergency action from the City of Edinburgh Council following a special meeting today.

The City of Edinburgh Council called a meeting of the Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Committee (HHFWC) this morning to approve a suspension of the Council lettings policy. Councillors unanimously supported this action until at least 13 June 2025. 

This comes after Shelter Scotland raised concerns in 2024 over the council not showing the desire to tackle its own legal breaches.   

However, the leading housing and homelessness charity has said that while this is a welcome move, it is not a long-term solution and is urging the local authority to clarify on the next steps to ensure people aren’t trapped in temporary accommodation for years.

Our Director, Alison Watson, said:   

“We welcome the City of Edinburgh Council’s urgent action to tackle the worsening housing emergency.   

“The decision to suspend the normal letting policy reflects the scale of the crisis and the urgent need to protect the 3,155 children currently stuck in temporary accommodation, as well as to prevent rising levels of rough sleeping.  

“This as an emergency response taken in extraordinary circumstances, with nearly three in five homelessness presentations not being provided with temporary accommodation when required. The Council is facing an impossible task without enough homes or resources. This situation has not emerged overnight; it is the result of decades of underinvestment in social housing and a failure to provide councils with the tools they need to fulfil their legal duties.   

“However, this is not a long-term solution. Edinburgh’s housing emergency cannot be solved by crisis measures alone. We urgently need the Scottish Government to do more to support City of Edinburgh Council to meet all its legal duties and to ensure everyone has a safe, secure and affordable home.”