Homeless people evicted from Edinburgh to make room for Taylor Swift fans

Legend, Competition for hotel rooms fierce ahead of Taylor Swift concerts in Edinburgh

May 29, 2024, 3:32 p.m. BST

Updated 1 hour ago

A number of homeless people have been evicted from Edinburgh to make way for tourists before Taylor Swift performs in the city, BBC News has learned.

Shelter Scotland said several homeless people it supports had been sent by taxi to Aberdeen and Glasgow due to a housing shortage, and one person had been offered temporary accommodation all the way to Newcastle.

The housing charity said it was “a gross injustice” for homeless people to be “in direct competition” with tourists.

Edinburgh City Council said it was working with affected households to find “suitable alternative accommodation”.

Taylor Swift will play three nights at Edinburgh’s Murrayfield Stadium, June 7-9. Hundreds of thousands of fans are expected to flock to the city and competition for hotel rooms is fierce.

The housing charity said people declared homeless in Edinburgh, who were usually offered temporary accommodation such as hotels, were being pushed out of the city due to a severe housing shortage caused by the concert.

There is no evidence that homeless people have been evicted from housing where they were already staying.

There is a legal requirement for people declared homeless in Scotland to be offered emergency temporary accommodation, and this may take the form of hotels.

The council declared a state of housing emergency last November, citing record homeless figures, a severe shortage of social housing to rent and skyrocketing rental costs in the private sector.

He said the reliance on tourist accommodation for homeless households was a symptom of this housing emergency.

Earlier this month, the Scottish Government also declared a national housing emergency after sustained pressure from campaigners and opposition parties.

Shelter Scotland director Alison Watson said the situation in Edinburgh was further evidence of the urgency of the country’s housing crisis.

“In Edinburgh, this emergency now places homeless people in direct competition with tourists; a blatant injustice,” she said.

“Our frontline services are already seeing people who need a bed tonight being told their only option is to leave the city.

“A family experiencing the trauma of homelessness in Edinburgh should not have to move away from their work, school and community to find emergency accommodation. “

Legend, Taylor Swift to play three nights in Edinburgh next month

Ms Watson said a different response was needed from the Scottish Government.

And she added that without changes, the problem could be expected to recur at the city’s Fringe Festival in August.

Edinburgh City Council has said it will “absolutely not” move tenants from temporary accommodation to make way for Taylor Swift fans.

However, housing councilor Jane Meagher said: “It is a symptom of the housing emergency we face in Edinburgh that we sometimes have to use tourist accommodation to house homeless households.

“We know it won’t be available all year round, particularly during the busy summer months, so we reluctantly use it as a last resort.

“We are aware of the situation and are working with affected households to find suitable alternative accommodation. »

Alexander, who has been homeless for four months, told BBC Scotland News he was afraid he would end up on the streets again this weekend.

The 20-year-old is currently staying in a temporary hotel in Edinburgh, but says he will have to leave on Friday and report again as homeless to the council.

“It’s going to be almost impossible to find accommodation because everything is booked or they’ve raised their prices,” he said.

The council reserves tourist accommodation – such as hotels – for homeless households as a last resort and short-term solution. He only reserves them for periods of seven days.

It is not unusual for hotels to be fully booked at major events such as the Edinburgh Fringe or other concerts, but campaigners fear the scale of Taylor Swift’s appearance has caused a surge demand.

Common budget hotels such as Travelodge and Premier Inn are sold out for this weekend, and other hotels on the outskirts of the city are offering prices as low as £330 for overnight stays.

Alexander says he has been given no indication of where he will be sent after Friday and claimed that in the past he has been given a sleeping bag and told to sleep on the street to the night.

“I suffer from severe depression and anxiety and my anxiety is out of control right now because I don’t know what’s going to happen to me.

“I’m more than nervous, I’m scared, because I don’t know where I’m going to end up on Friday or after.”

A spokesperson for Edinburgh Council reiterated it had a legal duty to provide accommodation for homeless people and said no one would be given sleeping bags.