Tenants offered cash to downsize

COUNCIL house tenants in the Capital are to be offered up to £1000 to encourage them to downsize.

New research by the city council has found that around one in every 20 of its homes is "under-occupied", which can come about when family members may have passed away or moved out and left tenants with a home that is too big for them.

But it has no powers to force tenants to move into smaller homes - so is now to offer incentives to try to encourage them into a move.

Their larger homes would then be able to be occupied by families who are living in overcrowded homes.

Tenants will be able to spend the incentive money on the cost of removals and on some decoration of their new home.

But the amount being offered by the council is much smaller than the neighbouring East Lothian Council, which is offering its tenants up to 4000 to downsize.

Councillor Paul Edie, the city's housing leader for Edinburgh, said: ""We hope that this pilot project will act as an incentive for tenants to move and free up much-needed family accommodation.

"There are just not enough large homes in the social housing sector in Edinburgh to meet demand.

"In these times of budgetary pressures freeing up larger homes means families can move out of temporary accommodation and ultimately save the council money."

Latest figures suggest that more than 650 families that are on the council's waiting lists are currently living in overcrowded homes.

Among the amounts that tenants can claim under the new scheme are around 330 for removal costs, 35 for the disconnection and reconnection of appliances like washing machines and cookers or 5 per square metre for carpets.

They can also claim up to 450 for decorating a lounge, 230 for a kitchen, 150 for bathroom or 400 for bedroom. But each tenant will only be given a maximum of 1000.

A total budget of 50,000 has been set aside in this year's housing budget for the downsizing incentive scheme.

Betty Stevenson, chair of the Edinburgh Tenants Federation, said: "We hope this cash incentive will help people living in bigger homes move to more suitable ones.

"Sometimes the thought of packing and moving could put people off especially in today's current economic climate but this money will come in useful. Also smaller homes will also save them money as they will be cheaper to heat."

Councillors are to be asked to approve the scheme at a housing committee meeting next week.