Edinburgh agrees £173m package to upgrade and build new council homes

Councillors in Edinburgh have agreed a £173m spending package to upgrade and build new council housing as part of the city’s 2023/24 Housing Revenue Account capital programme.

Under the plans, an extra £50m will be invested compared to last year, continuing Edinburgh’s pipeline of new builds and increasing capital investment into existing homes, including energy efficiency upgrades.

The council is piloting a ‘whole house retrofit’ approach which will be adopted fully in 2023. This will focus on improvements to the fabric of buildings and energy performance including design and development work for at least four multi-storey blocks.

The council said retrofitting would not only help with issues like damp but help lower tenants’ fuel costs and support Edinburgh’s net zero carbon by 2030 commitment, with largescale rewiring, roof replacements, new kitchens, bathrooms, windows, and doors due to be identified.

The spending programme is also set to involve improvements to common areas and stairwells, adapting homes in response to people’s health needs and transforming derelict sites and void properties into much needed new homes for tenants and people experiencing homelessness.

Edinburgh City Council is the largest registered social landlord in the city, with responsibility for managing and maintaining around 19,000 council homes. The city as a whole suffers from a housing crisis, with rents charged by private landlords often well out of the reach of poorer tenants and students.

Jane Meagher, convener of the council’s Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Committee, said: “More than 3,000 older homes all over the city are set to benefit from improvements – making them greener, safer, and more accessible for generations to come. Our capital housing programme is about spending money where it is most needed so that we can help as many residents as possible live well in safe, warm homes.

“That means making council homes more energy efficient which will help to drive down bills. It means building brand new homes in response to the huge demand we’re seeing, and we need to keep listening to our tenants so that we can invest in those areas which will make the biggest difference to people’s lives.”