Emergency accommodation - your views online

The Midlothian Families Project will take six empty council homes, which have been identified as difficult to re-let, and use them for short term accommodation for people with children or a pregnant member of their household.

Laura Finlay

Working in the domestic abuse support field I know how difficult it is to find safe homes for women and children, but is the solution to stick them in places no one else wants to be? Places they might not feel safe to be with their children.

Marina-Jane Juel-Beer

Nope, this is part of the problem, sticking vulnerable families in unsafe accommodation, perfect way to drive them back to their abusers.

Tian Alexander

There should be no empty council homes, there’s a massive waiting list.

Leanne Bain

I question why there are empty council houses at all. Make them suitable for everyone and anyone who needs them!

Sheila Bernard

My son applied for these properties for him and his son and never even heard back from the council.

Michele Catto

Why are they hard to let? Maybe the council should ask that question.

Margaret Cummings

Great! Houses difficult to rent rings alarm bells with me. So vulnerable people are put into houses nobody else wants. I suppose temporary means for a short time. When has this council moved quickly?

Gilly Shaw

How about using them for folk who genuinely need a home? No such thing as difficult to let... ask those in private lets.

Taelor Bee

This is me and my kids except temp / emergency accommodation was billed at £32,000+ because the council-owned one-bed property has a rate of £485 per week.

Ruth Townsley

While I support this kind of accommodation it sets off alarm bells for me that it is in difficult to let properties. Invariably these kind of properties are in places that would cause even more anxiety and fear for people that are already vulnerable, or in places with poor connections to services shopping etc. I’m pleased a concierge would be present but a lot more support is needed.

Oliver Crane

I really hope this isn't a euphemism for bad homes. Someone living in fear has enough to contend with.

Susan Downie

How can family homes with that many bedrooms be ‘difficult’ to rent?

Pamella Munro

This isn't honorable at all. They are throwing vulnerable people into houses that they can't rent out now under a homeless charity band which means they can ask the government for £4000 per month per property.

Jenni Flynn

How can there be empty council houses when people have been on the waiting list 10+ years?

Lee Reynolds

Difficult to rent and vulnerable? Doesn’t sound like a well thought out plan.

Laura Hodgkinson

So basically you are sticking vunerabe adults and children in an area with a high crime rate, riffe with drugs that no one in their right mind would want to stay in… nice!

James Corden

James Corden banned from New York City restaurant for ‘abusive’ behaviour towards staff

Grace Scott

Do they forget their roots? Common decency and respect costs nothing; it doesn't matter if you're the CEO or the toilet cleaner, respect everyone in society!

Rhea Basista

Tragic; it’s seems the more money one gets, the more they get detached from reality.

Joyce Stewart

I don't care how important people think they are, there is no excuse for anyone to abuse or raise their voices to any staff in any circumstances. He left the waiting staff shaken, disgusting behaviour.

Gail Robb

Oh dear. I remember him being a runner for Jerry Sadowitz at the Edinburgh Festival and no one even knew him.

Duncan Garden

JC needs to climb down from his high horse and dine out on Humble Pie.

A&E waiting times

Just 40.6 per cent seen within four hours at Royal Infirmary

Kiimberlee Gally

But record numbers being seen and treated. Maybe that in itself highlights that if you want targets met, there needs to be staff and space to achieve this. How do you get staff? Value the ones you have, retain them and more will come!

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