​Edinburgh City Council to create new organisation to stimulate growth in affordable rented homes

An arm’s-length housing company is being planned by Edinburgh City Council.

The council’s health, social care and housing committee has approved the move in a bid to develop more rented, affordable housing.

Called Edinburgh Homes, the organisation will coordinate investment across public and private owned sites.

It could mean between 1,000 and 1,500 properties a year being built in the city.

A report by the committee says there are more than 39,000 registered landlords in Edinburgh, with rent levels in one area of the city rising 17% above inflation between 2010 and 2014.

However developers say securing investment opportunities is one of the biggest factors preventing them their involvement in the city’s private rented sector.

Edinburgh Homes would be initially funded through the development and sale of 400 homes for market and sub-market rent in a site in the city called Fountainbridge.

The committee will receive a report back in August on the model’s feasibility.