Exclusive:Edinburgh Labour housing convener under fire for suggesting cut to affordable homes

Lezley Marion Cameron made the controversial comments at a housing event run by the David Hume Institute in the same week the Scottish Government’s Housing Bill , which strengthened rights for tenants, was agreed, including with support from Labour MSPs.

It is understood Ms Cameron is being hauled in for talks with the council leader on Monday, which could include discussing her future as housing convener.

Ms Cameron, who is also the city’s deputy lord provost, has been criticised after calling for the allocation of affordable homes that is required of developers, set at 35 per cent after being increased from 25 per cent in December, to be reconsidered - suggesting it could be putting off firms from investing in the capital.

The city’s affordable housing policy has enabled 959 affordable homes to be sanctioned across 2022/23 and 2023/24, representing 45 per cent of all affordable home completions in Edinburgh.

READ MORE: SNP's rent controls approved as empty and second homes poised for council tax hikes

Ms Cameron also questioned whether devolution was holding back progress. Two years ago, Ms Cameron’s Labour colleagues on Edinburgh City Council declared a housing emergency, with soaring rents and a lack of affordable housing blamed for fuelling the crisis.

But speaking at the David Hume Institute event this week, Ms Cameron said: “I would support … looking at relaxing the affordable housing percentage in order to try and encourage development to grow.

“What frustrates me is … why on earth does it take a small country so long to do anything about this situation, about this housing emergency? I’m a doer, I’m not a sitter and talker. I get hugely frustrated when things aren't coming together to make things happen.”

READ MORE: The barriers to progress in tackling Scotland's housing emergency

Ms Cameron then questioned whether “devolution has got in the way of being a bit more pro-active”.

Housing campaigners have hit out at Ms Cameron’s remarks.

Gordon MacRae, assistant director of communications and advocacy at Shelter Scotland, said: “We believe Edinburgh urgently needs more social housing and we think it was right for City of Edinburgh Council to increase the expectation that any new development should be up from 25 per cent to 35 per cent.

“We cannot see a good reason to reduce it at a time of a housing emergency.”

Mr MacRae added: “We need a minimum of 15,693 social homes in Scotland just to help councils begin to end the housing emergency in their area. Without these homes, homelessness will continue to rise. Scotland needs radical change to deliver more social housing, build hope and build the Scotland we want to see."

SNP Edinburgh group leader Simita Kumar has written to Labour council leader Jane Meagher, calling for clarity the local authority would not adopt Ms Cameron’s position.

Ms Kumar said: "This statement by Edinburgh's housing convener raises serious questions about Labour’s commitment to solving the housing emergency.

“Rather than requiring the building of social housing, they seem more interested in giving breaks to developers. The council leader must clarify Labour’s position as a matter of utmost urgency."

READ MORE: 'Shameful': Homelessness in Scotland reaches its highest level for 14 years

In response to Ms Kumar’s letter, seen by The Scotsman, the council leader has distanced herself from her housing convener’s comments, insisting Ms Cameron’s position “does not reflect Labour policy or the policy of this administration”.

Ms Meagher said she hoped her response “clarifies any confusion around the position of the administration” as she pointed to “the acute nature of Edinburgh’s homelessness crisis, coupled with the severe shortage of social rented homes and the increasing pressure within the private rental market”.

She said: “During the development of the City Plan 2030, this administration fought to increase the percentage of affordable homes required in new developments from the originally recommended 25 per cent to 35 per cent, which is an achievement I am very proud of.”

In a statement, Ms Cameron said: “Given the size, scale and complexity of factors affecting housing need and barriers to increasing housing supply in Edinburgh, the council must not only monitor the impact of our housing emergency action plan and current suspension of housing allocation policy, but also review our housing allocation and acquisition policies, the impact of our 35 per cent affordable housing policy, and explore potential adjustments to these and other policies.”

She said the authority should “assess new policy delivery models and funding solutions and engage with all parties in a position to contribute to meaningfully accelerating the provision of the much-needed new housing for Edinburgh people and families”.

Ms Cameron said despite progress made, “we still need to do much more, and need significantly more resources to resolve the housing crisis because the costs of, and demands for, housing in Edinburgh continue to rise”.