NEWS: Underoccupation

By MARK McLAUGHLIN
Edinburgh Evening News
15 January 2010

MORE than 7,000 people are living alone in two and three-bedroom council houses in the Capital it has emerged.

New figures, released by communities minister Alex Neil, show that there are around 2,000 single people living in three- bedroom council houses in Edinburgh.

The figures were released to the Scottish Parliament in response to a question by Mid Scotland and Fife Conservative MSP Elizabeth Smith, and reveal that there may be up to 89,000 under-occupied council houses in Scotland.

East Lothian and West Lothian have around 3,000 under-occupied houses each, while Midlothian has around 1,000.

Around half of the people registered for council housing in Edinburgh are single, while around 10 per cent are registered as couples.

The rest are made up of "other households", such as families or other groups of people seeking to live together.

City housing leader Paul Edie said the under-occupancy was due to the shortage of one-bedroom council houses.

He added: "Only 28 per cent of council homes have one bedroom. That's why the council allows single people or couples to be allocated one or two-bedroom properties.

"There are also times where single, particularly older, people are living in larger properties which they used to accommodate their families who have now moved on.

"These tenants have a right to carry on living in their homes but we offer these tenants help and advice to find more suitable properties that meets their needs.

There is an acute shortage of affordable housing in Edinburgh.

"This is a source of frustration for thousands of people in the city who cannot find a home of their own and is an issue the council, tenants' groups and our housing association partners have been actively campaigning on."

Mr Edie added that in certain circumstances single tenants may be offered incentives, such as priority housing, if they decide that they want to move to a smaller home.

However, the Taxpayers Alliance says the council should be doing more to encourage single people to give up larger housing.

Political director Susie Squire said: "These figures call into serious question whether these houses are fit for purpose for the people living in them.

"The council has an obligation to house these people, many of whom will be vulnerable and need a roof over their head, but they have to do it in a cost-effective way.

"We need a commitment from local and central government to overhaul the system to ensure that families are placed in large houses, and single people placed in one-bedroom properties."

Ms Squire added that tenants who once lived in the house as part of a larger household, but have found themselves alone through children moving out or the death of a partner, should also be encouraged to move to smaller accommodation.

She said: "We would obviously want the council to be sensitive. If someone is dealing with grief there is no need to move them out immediately, but you can't keep walking on eggshells when there's such a shortage of housing.

"These people are living in the grace-and-favour of the taxpayer, after all. If they owned their house it would be a different story, but if their circumstances have changed and they have found themselves alone for any reason they should consider moving to a one- bedroom flat.

"It's all about using scarce resources effectively, and the current situation is financially untenable."