Housing Options Scotland was invited to attend and speak at the inaugural Accessible Housing Summit held today at the City Chambers in Edinburgh.
The event brought together City of Edinburgh Council members with representatives from the third sector, housing associations and the private sector, to take tangible steps towards building, adapting, and finding much needed accessible homes across the capital.
As Scotland’s population continues to age, and Edinburgh’s population grows and changes, the need for accessible homes is more and more apparent. Following insights from the recently commissioned Accessible Housing Study, as well as feedback gathered from tenants, residents and partners through the Council’s Local Housing Strategy consultation, Councillor Ben Parker raised the idea to host a Summit where stakeholders could come together, discuss the issues and identify viable solutions.
Hosted by the Housing committee Convener Councillor Lezley Marion-Cameron, through a series of roundtable discussions, participants explored three key areas: delivering new accessible homes, improving access to existing housing, and ensuring the best use of homes already available.
Moira Bayne, CEO of Housing Options Scotland, was one of several guests invited to speak at the event. She said: “We can’t afford to wait any longer to move on creating more accessible homes in Scotland. Our thanks to the City of Edinburgh Council for planning the Summit which is an important first step in planning our future homes.”
Following today’s Summit, delegates are invited to consider what actions can be taken forward to address improving access to information and advice on accessible housing and planning for new accessible homes in Edinburgh.
The Council has already begun construction on a new residential development in Cowan’s Close in Newington which will provide 19 modern, fully wheelchair accessible homes available for social rent. The project is expected to be completed by summer 2026.