Edinburgh Homeless Relocation Possible Amid Unlicensed Accommodation Crackdown

A proposal to cease the utilization of unlicensed temporary housing by the month’s end might result in the relocation of some homeless individuals from Edinburgh. The City of Edinburgh Council has supplied hundreds of hotel and B&B rooms for temporary housing, addressing a significant increase in demand since the Covid pandemic began. These properties, having transitioned from guest-only use to primary residences, are now legally mandated to hold a House of Multiple Occupation (HMO) licence. Approximately 650 homeless individuals currently reside in housing lacking an HMO licence. Council officials, in their efforts to rehouse these individuals, indicated that roughly 10% might face temporary relocation outside Edinburgh if sufficient spaces are not secured by November 30. Derek McGowan, the Service Director for Housing and Homelessness at the City of Edinburgh Council, stated that the city has received offers for approximately 70 properties located externally, primarily within adjacent local authorities, with none situated beyond 50 miles. He expressed doubt regarding the necessity of utilizing these properties but emphasized, “we need to plan for it”. He remarked: “I would say I’m confident at the moment there will be a place for everyone affected by this to stay.“Predominantly what we’re trying to do is use our [housing] stock on a temporary basis, but whatever else licenced and suitable accommodation in the city we can find, we can use.“The contingencies are there, if there is a need to use accommodation outwith the authority area we would make sure we are transporting people there and that would be on a short-term basis, as short as possible, so we can bring them back to the city and put them in our housing stock.” The initial choice to substantially expand the availability of unlicensed temporary housing was made at the commencement of the first Covid lockdown in 2020. During that period, all properties underwent inspections to verify compliance with safety requirements, and landlords found in violation of regulations were asked to apply for an HMO licence. Approximately 30 landlords failed to comply, and the council now intends to cease payments to unlicensed HMO property providers in early December. This action is prompted by the expense of the arrangement amid escalating demand, as well as the City of Edinburgh Council’s commission of a criminal offense by compensating operators who did not adhere to its health and safety licensing mandates. Furthermore, the council is violating its HMO licensing obligations by continuing to provide support to homeless households in certain unlicensed properties. In pursuit of its objective to terminate the unlicensed HMO arrangement, the council has temporarily halted applications for social housing. EdIndex, the housing portal in Edinburgh utilized by homeless individuals to apply for council housing, enables people to join a waiting list for more permanent housing options. Vacant residences are typically advertised online, but the website has been temporarily suspended due to “unprecedented pressures.” Additionally, non-essential repairs have been suspended until January to prioritize efforts aimed at returning more unoccupied or void homes to active use. Mr. McGowan reported that approximately 174 of these vacant council homes have been reactivated in recent weeks, and about 120 additional spaces for homeless individuals will become accessible if current unlicensed providers’ applications for HMO licences are approved within the coming week. The senior council official mentioned that the local authority is also developing a separate “commercially sensitive” arrangement to tackle the problem of unlicensed HMOs. In May, individuals presenting as homeless in Edinburgh who were not already in temporary housing were directed outside the city, a consequence of significant demand for hotel rooms generated by Taylor Swift concerts.