Affordable homes target under threat
The number of affordable homes set to be built in Edinburgh will fall “staggeringly” short of the council's target, a report has warned.
Only 500 or less social rented homes a year can be built over the next few years, according to council figures published in a new report.
The figure includes homes for social rent, mid-market rent and low-cost ownership projected to be built by the council and other registered social landlords such as housing associations.
Conservative Lothians MSP Miles Briggs has hit out, saying the council needs to build “50 times more homes”.
A commitment was made in 2023 to build 25,000 affordable homes by 2027, up from initial target of 20,000. But according to council figures out this week, only 950 will be completed in 2023 and 2024.
The report states that plans to ramp up affordable housing in the city are under threat due to a huge gap in overall grant funding. The council is facing a funding shortfall which has increased from £50 million in 2017 to £667m in 2024.
Mr Briggs said : “Edinburgh Council’s projection of 500 affordable homes a year is staggeringly short of the 25,000 target. The council needs to be building 50 times as many homes.
“Edinburgh and the south-east of Scotland has the fastest-growing population in Scotland, but without enough homes the housing market will continue to shrink and prices will rise even higher.”
There are around 24,000 people waiting for council housing in the Capital, but only 2079 homes were advertised by social landlords between April 1, 2023 and January 1, 2024, new figures show.
A report to the housing committee on February 27 said: “If costs continue to rise, then the number of homes that can be delivered will decrease. Edinburgh’s forward budget is not projected to increase from the current level of £45m, which is only sufficient to deliver around 500 affordable homes each year.”
Council chiefs have said many house builders and developers are delaying new contracts due to cost inflation, reduced mortgage availability and affordability. In the last 12 months, two affordable development partners have suspended house building programmes.
The council needs to be building 50 times as many homes