Local councillors in Edinburgh backed the move following concerns raised by Shelter. 

Councillors in Edinburgh are to call a meeting with the Scottish Government amid concerns about the housing and homelessness crises facing the city. 

In December Shelter Scotland wrote to ministers and the Scottish Housing Regulator requesting “immediate intervention” against the council in the capital. 

The charity raised the impact of council decisions and reports that the rights of homeless individuals had been breached by the council as part of a request for a reclassification of housing for emergency accommodation. 

Now, local councillors have now back a motion calling for a meeting with the government, regulator, and other partners to address the ongoing issue. 

Edinburgh Live reports that Green Councillor Ben Parker - who sits on the Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work committee which voted to ask the Scottish Government for the changes - said: “We have to take seriously this intervention by one of our key sector partners, and we also have to take ownership of how damaging this has been.

“I feel ashamed to be a part of it as a member of that committee. I didn’t even vote for the approved position.

“What is this council going to do next? When we declared a housing emergency, we said that we would prioritise a rights based approach in our response.

“The decision of some councillors in December undermines that declaration, and it makes a mockery of our responsibilities to homeless people in our city.

“At a time of crisis, and the housing emergency very much is a time of crisis, you need all the friends you can get.

“The fallout from this decision of alienating Scotland’s leading housing charity is the opposite of where this house should be.”

While the motion, raised by Councillor Parker, passed it had been amended to include a line remarking on the ‘success of the Council and housing partners’ in fighting homelessness in Edinburgh, Edinburgh Live said.