Hundreds of Empty Homes in Edinburgh Exposed During Ongoing Housing Emergency

Our reporter, Harry Ness unwraps our exclusive news on housing in north Edinburgh.

The City of Edinburgh Council has confirmed that there are approximately 243 empty homes in north-east Edinburgh alone, despite there being a declared state of housing emergency across the city.

“There are 243 empty homes in the North-East locality."

In response to a request submitted under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002, the council declared that 243 council homes remain empty and unused in the following wards: Craigentinny/Duddingston, Leith Walk, Leith and Portobello/Craigmillar.

These figures have been brought to light in the midst of a housing emergency both locally in Edinburgh and nationally across Scotland.

New housing developments are being funded as cities like Edinburgh work to tackle a housing emergency.

This time last year the Scottish government confirmed that 4% of all households in Scotland were on the social housing waiting list.

Many have cited the housing market as being fundamentally broken, with the prospects of home ownership for young people being unrealistic for many as things stand, due to real-terms costs of homes, and a national lack of housing capacity in consideration of national population.

One of the measures that Edinburgh council have taken in response to the housing crisis in the capital is to increase the proportion of affordable homes mandated in new developments, from 25% to 35%.

Councillor Lezley Marion Cameron represents the Liberton/Gilmerton ward.

Last month the council's former Convenor of it's Housing and Homelessness committee, Councillor Lezley Marion Cameron, was removed from her position as Convenor after she opposed this policy during a David Hume Institute event:

“I think I’ve had discussions with lots of people in this room… two things I would support is looking at relaxing the affordable housing percentage in order to encourage development to grow.

Councillor Tim Pogson was elected by the council in November this year as the new Convenor of Edinburgh's Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Committee.

Councillor Tim Pogson represents the Southside/Newington ward

One measure that has been suggested in order to tackle the national housing crisis, and respond to the numbers of empty homes in Scotland, is to increaser rates of council taxation on second and unused homes, alongside other local authority powers such as Empty Property Use Orders.

Ross Greer MSP was elected co-leader of the Scottish Greens with Gillian Mackay MSP in August 2025

Co-leader of the Scottish Greens, Ross Greer, spoke out in support of these proposals:

“Raising taxes on second homes is a proven way to free up properties for people who actually need somewhere to live.

All over Scotland people are being priced out of the communities they’ve grown up in, all while tens of thousands of homes sit empty for most of the year.

Everyone should have a safe, secure and affordable place to call home, but many of the areas where rent is highest are also those with a frankly ridiculous number of second homes and empty properties."