Edinburgh housing crisis: Council's £92 million investment this year for over 2,000 new homes
First instalment of £1.6 billion investment by council
Edinburgh council chiefs have unveiled details of the £92 million they are investing this financial year to build more than 2,000 homes as part of the drive to tackle the Capital's housing emergency.
The council's budget, approved in February, includes £1.6 billion of investment in housing over the next five years, which is due to bring forward almost 6,000 extra homes.
The spending plan for 2026/27 includes 17 separate schemes across the city, which are at different stages of the design and construction process.
The housing committee on Monday will be asked to approve the capital investment programme totalling £207 million, which includes £92m for new homes, £18m for off-the-shelf purchases and £97m for improvements to existing homes.
Housing convener Tim Pogson said: “This is good news about how we're actually delivering in response to the housing emergency.
“The only way out of that housing emergency, to meet the huge housing demand in the city, and particularly but not exclusively homelessness demand, is to build, is to have more access to stock both for permanent rehousing and temporary housing where that's needed, and making sure it is all of very, very high quality.
“I’ve been to a few handovers of properties or openings. Most recently in my ward there was the Cowan's Close opening, where the tenants will be moving in this month.
“It's a brand new development of 19 fully wheelchair accessible properties, absolutely amazing properties, in the heart of the South Side where there was previously a council refuse depot.
“This is all good stuff - we're seeing new homes coming through and people moving into those new homes.”
The 2026/27 programme includes:
- Western Villages - 388 affordable homes - £357,000 retention payments - completed
- Silverlea - 143 affordable homes - £6,539,000 for construction - due for completion: 31 October 2026
- Granton Waterfront - 214 affordable homes - £7,352,000 for construction - due for completion: 31 March 2032
- Pennywell Town Centre - 90 affordable homes - £12,659,000 for construction - due for completion: 31 March 2029
- Clovenstone - 60 affordable homes - £ 856.000 for design of affordable homes - due for completion: 31 March 2030
- Murrayburn Depot - 100 affordable homes - £1,131,000 for design - due for completion: 31 March 2031
- Murrayburn Gate - 73 affordable homes - £4,588,000 for construction - due for completion: 31 March 2027
- Fountainbridge - 186 affordable homes - £13,507,000 for construction - due for completion: 31 March 2030
- Coatfield Lane - 49 affordable homes - £4,588,000 for construction - due for completion: 31 March 2028
- Meadowbank - 237 affordable homes - £21,937,000 for construction - due for completion: 31 March 2030
- Powderhall Waste Transfer Site - 87 affordable homes - £1,481,000 for design - due for completion: 31 March 2029
- Powderhall Bowling Green - 27 affordable homes - £8,701,000 for construction - due for completion: 31 March 2027
- Greendykes K&L - 140 affordable homes - £8,549,000 for construction - due for completion: 31 March 2027
- Castlebrae - 144 affordable homes - £1,000,000 for design - due for completion: 30 June 2029
- Burdiehouse Crescent - 49 affordable homes - £7,600,000 for design - due for completion: 31 March 2028
- Liberton Hospital - 194 affordable homes - £875,000 for design - due for completion: 30 March 2031
- Cowans Close - 19 affordable homes - £269,000 for construction - due for completion: 31 May 2026