Edinburgh family in temporary accommodation for five years 'losing hope' of ever having home

An Edinburgh mother and her five children stuck in temporary accommodation for five years are losing hope of ever having their own home.

Zoe Ross, 43, and her family were put into a three-bed temporary flat in 2020 after they became homeless having fallen into rent arrears days before the UK went into Covid lockdown.

But five years on, they say they have yet to be offered a suitable permanent home.

“As a mum, you just want to make a house a home and you want them to have the space they need,” Ms Ross said.

“I just want them to have a proper home and feel safe. That’s the end goal.

Zoe Ross and her dauhgter Maryisa. Shelter Scotland

“At any moment, something could come up and we could move next week. I’ve spent a lot of money on this place, spent thousands to try and make it homely for them but for me, it isn’t home.”

Ms Ross described her temporary home as “chaotic” and crowded.

Her three sons are in one room, and her two daughters are in the other. Ms Ross said the situation can be tough for her sons in particular.

“One of my sons, he comes home from school, gets changed and heads straight back out to his friend’s next door. It can be too chaotic for him,” she said.

“My eight-year-old can’t really have his friends over. There isn’t enough space, so it’s hard for him too. I don’t really blame him for always being at his friends because it’s just so busy here.”

Ms Ross is looking for a home with four bedrooms in the same area so that she doesn’t have to disrupt her kids’ school experience.

According to charity Shelter Scotland, the family are one of many stuck in unsuitable, temporary accommodation across the country.

Citing the latest statistics from the Scottish Government, Shelter said households in Edinburgh are spending 546 days in temporary accommodation on average.

Shelter Scotland director Alison Watson said that Scotland is failing children who are trapped in a “broken and biased” homelessness system.

“Every child in Scotland has the right to grow up in a safe, secure and affordable home,” she said.

Temporary accommodation forms an important part of people’s rights, but Ms Watson said that it should act as a safety net and first step out of crisis, rather than “causing a new crisis in itself”.

“Temporary housing should be just that – temporary. Not a long-term sentence,” she said.

Shelter Scotland has recently published a new report showing the impact unsuitable temporary housing has on children. According to the charity, it gives a “shocking” insight into the how thousands of children in Scotland are living in overcrowded conditions, with some having to share beds or sleeping on the floors.

“This research shows clearly that it is now more important than ever that all levels of government need to tackle the housing emergency and protect thousands of Scotland’s children from further harm,” Ms Watson said.

The City of Edinburgh convener declined to provide a comment on Ms Ross’ situation, but the Council said that Ms Ross received bidding advice and support several times.