Edinburgh's Local Housing Strategy
Chapter Three - Ensure homes are modern, warm and sustainable
This chapter covers new and existing homes; Energy Efficiency Scotland: Area-based Schemes; Social Housing Net Zero Heat Fund; Heat Network Development; fuel poverty and dampness, mould and condensation.
These are the proposed strategic objectives:
- Ensure all homes are well maintained, energy efficient, safe, sustainable and climate proofed, working towards net zero emissions.
- Reduce fuel poverty and ensure every household has a warm home they can afford to heat.
Read the high-level actions we propose to take
- Continue to support all new build Council homes to be constructed to high standards of energy efficiency and sustainability. There is a lower energy demand to heat the homes, with low or zero emissions heating systems required. This means they will minimise the amount of carbon emissions to aid with the city’s ambition to be net zero carbon and reduce fuel poverty.
- Investment in blocks with Council ownership - Implement the 15-year Whole House Retrofit (WHR) investment plan for low rise blocks
- Develop an investment and management strategy with an aim to make homes in high rise blocks warm, safe and sustainable.
- Assess and review the future of the high rise estate.
- Support delivery of the Edinburgh Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategy (LHEES).
- Continue to make a case for a funding formula based on need to the Social Housing Net Zero Heat Fund (SHNZHF) and an increase to the overall fund.
- Work with stakeholders to help respond to, shape, develop and implement any legislative and regulatory changes and report on this through the LHS annual review process.
- Ensure owners and private landlords are provided with the information to understand their and the Council’s rights and responsibilities.
- Work closely with the Scottish Government to establish solutions around challenges to meeting new energy standards.
- Investigate how all housing providers in the city can improve the quality of housing.
- Work with private rented sector to ensure accommodation and repair standards are met.
- Drive improvements in repairs completed within the service standard [in Council housing].
- Ensure repair work carried out on Council properties represents value for money for tenants.
- Improve speed and quality of response to reports of damp and mould issues [in Council housing].
- Introduce robust measures to address issues with [Council housing] tenancies being left in poor state of repair at termination.