Holiday flats bid to tackle housing crisis

Published on Thursday 15 May 2008 10:28

THE city's housing crisis has forced council chiefs to bid for 46 holiday apartments to tackle the number of homeless families stuck in B&Bs.

If successful, council development arm EDI will buy the Linton Court development in Dalry – valued at around 6 million – and the local authority will use the flats for temporary accommodation.

The Capital's chronic shortage of affordable housing means the council currently spends around 2m a year on B&B rooms. Last year, the number of homeless households in Edinburgh stood at 5291. At the end of March, 319 people were staying in B&B accommodation provided by the city council, with a further 76 people placed by Midlothian Council.

The biggest concentration can usually be found in the Leith Links area, which has led to a series of complaints from local residents.

The city's housing leader, Paul Edie, said the latest move should help "take the heat off" Leith Links. He added: "This would also reduce the council's use of costly bed and breakfast accommodation."

Services for communities director Mark Turley added: "The cost to the council, in terms of housing benefit administration, will be significantly less than for other forms of temporary accommodation."

The Linton Court apartments on Murieston Road currently operate as short-term holiday lets, with prices ranging from 310 to 720 per week.

Local councillor Donald Wilson today backed the authority's plan. He said: "I'm sure some residents will have concerns about this, but it's important to recognise that people won't just be put in here and left to fend for themselves – proper support will be in place.

"Homeless people have to be housed somewhere, and we have to recognise there is a large housing problem in Edinburgh."

City leaders have warned that without funding to create more affordable housing, the number of homeless will continue to rise.

They fear they will be unable to meet a government target of permanent housing for all unintentionally homeless people by 2012.

The local authority has drawn up a new strategy which aims to prevent homelessness by providing more help to people identified as "at risk" – such as young people coping with domestic abuse or those in serious financial trouble.

However, the shortage of affordable homes is getting worse – according to the council, 12,000 will be needed over the next ten years.