Leading charity urges more funding for council houses

A LEADING housing charity has welcomed news that work is under way on the first new council housing in Edinburgh in a generation, but called for more to be built.

Work began yesterday on plans for 215 new homes, including council houses, on the site of three former multi- storey flats in Gracemount.

The development was today welcomed by housing and homeless charity Shelter Scotland.

Director Graeme Brown said: "While the new council houses are a welcome move forward and great news for those people lucky enough to get them, the total planned across Scotland is still very low, just 3300 against a backdrop of 160,000 households stuck on waiting lists.

"The investment of 80 million by the Scottish Government only scratches at the surface of the housing crisis in Scotland and I urge it to prioritise and protect funding for housing in the forthcoming budget."

It is thought that the new council houses will be the first to be built in Edinburgh since the 1980s.