Edinburgh on the brink of 'a humanitarian crisis' as 700 at risk of homelessness within days

City of Edinburgh Council says it needs to move hundreds of people who are currently living in unlicensed temporary accommodation by November 30.

However, the Scottish Greens say it is not clear exactly how many people will need to be rehoused, or where they will be moved to.

Placing people in properties which do not have a HMO (houses in multiple occupation) licence was a temporary measure to deal with homelessness during the coronavirus pandemic and the influx of Ukrainian refugees coming to the city.

However the practice has continued ever since, and in September it was revealed around 700 rooms across 30 unlicensed properties were being used to house homeless families.

Edinburgh’s monitoring officer Nick Smith warned this “amounts to illegality and maladministration”, and said the practice has to end.

The council’s housing chief agreed the practice “can’t continue”, adding: “We urgently need to move people out of these properties and find alternative temporary accommodation.”

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Scottish Greens co-leader Lorna Slater told The Scotsman: “Edinburgh Council has got into a really difficult situation.

“Moving all these people into suitable accommodation will take months, but the council says it needs to do this by the end of the month.

“Time is ticking, and no-one wants to see a humanitarian crisis in the middle of Edinburgh.

“The council has been in breach of its obligation to house people in suitable accommodation for a long time, and in exceptional circumstances like Covid it was better to get them into some form of housing rather than having them on the streets.

“But Edinburgh Council has a duty to house people properly, and that will take months and months.”

Council housing allocation and non-urgent repairs have also been paused while the council deals with rehousing these individuals.

Ms Slater, who also represents the Lothian region, says this is a “heart-breaking” move for the council to take, as it means residents as young as 16 are being left with no help from the council to find suitable housing.

The issue was raised at general questions in the Scottish Parliament on Thursday, where the Scottish Government said it is “urgently” looking at “all options”.

Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “Everyone has the right to a safe and suitable home.

“The housing minister and I met with the council to try and resolve the problem, and we have been meeting daily with council officers.

“All options are urgently being explored and we are making sure residents are supported and rehoused safely.”

Councillor Jane Meagher, the city’s housing convener, said the local authority will use existing council houses to rehouse these individuals, despite the council declaring a housing emergency.

She added the council will also speed up the turnaround of void homes, encourage unlicensed providers to apply for a HMO licence, find other temporary accommodation in the city, and work with registered social landlords.