Waiting list figures paint a grim picture for the Capital

The average waiting time for a council house in Edinburgh is more than a year, according to figures obtained by the Scottish Conservatives via Freedom of Information requests.

Those applying for social housing in the Capital via the City of Edinburgh Council’s Edindex portal will wait around 600 days on average, with many single people and families forced to wait far longer.

Statistics show there are currently around 24,000 people waiting for council housing in the Capital.

However only 2,079 homes were advertised by social landlords between April last year and January 1 2024, with an average of 243 bids received for each property.

Scottish Conservatives shadow cabinet secretary for social justice, house and equalities Miles Briggs MSP said: “The SNP’s continued failure to prioritise the social housing emergency is disgraceful – and it is vulnerable people who are suffering the consequences.

“People should not be left languishing in temporary accommodation for a year while they wait for a permanent home – never mind more than two decades, which is the reality in the most extreme cases.

“These figures are deeply concerning and a damning indictment of the SNP-Green Government’s housing failures.

“Social housing is yet another area in which they have overpromised, but undelivered – and swingeing cuts to the housing budget are only likely to make the crisis even worse.

“The nationalists have dropped the ball on social housing for too long, yet again failing to focus on Scotland’s real priorities.”