Exclusive:Edinburgh housing: Renters facing eviction 'nowhere to go' for legal help as vital services cut

Charities provided much-needed housing help have been forced to wind down the service.

Renters in Edinburgh who are facing eviction have 'nowhere left to go' for legal help, as cash-strapped charities are closing down vital services.

Two local charities providing 'much-needed' housing advice and support to renters including those with private landlords said they were forced to cut the service due to 'uncertainty' over funding.

It comes days before the rent cap is lifted across Edinburgh and Scotland, with 'soaring' evictions predicted by housing charities.

Renters are facing big rent rises and a ‘tidal wave of evictions’ when the eviction ban to help tenants through the cost of living crisis ends next month, campaigners have warned.

The Evening News spoke to several MSPs and MPs in Edinburgh who said they'd seen a rise in renters coming to them seeking help with eviction and rent increases.

Despite huge demand the housing advice offered by Community Help and Advice Initiative (CHAI) and Granton Information Centre has stopped the service, which provided legal advice on housing and representation at tribunals or court.

Bosses said it was 'with great regret' and that they were forced to cut the service, one of the only specialist housing advice services in Edinburgh.

It has sparked fears that renters including families with children who could lose their homes are left 'desperate' with little or no specialist support available in the city, as other charities are closing services because they can't cope with the demand.

The charities said they were now pointing people to housing and homelessness charity Shelter. But their legal team in Edinburgh is currently not taking on any new appointments. A spokesperson told us that the first port of call is the helpline or online chat. They admitted that they are not promoting the service or offering appointments with their legal team due to 'extreme' demand.

But the only other specialist advice service for renters at the Sheriff Court is turning people away or directing them to lawyers. The Civil Legal Assistance Office says that people can get help, if they qualify for legal aid.

Natasha McGourt, who represented tenants in Edinburgh for more than four years said she had never known anyone in Edinburgh to get help from contacts they provided.

The 36-year-old who recently resigned from the Granton Information Centre said: "Housing advice in Edinburgh is in a dire state. I was becoming increasingly disheartened and frustrated with the heartbreaking realities my clients faced. Many had school age children and some had disabilities. The tribunal set up is unfair. And I was told before leaving that even if funding was extended, it would be turned down because housing cases were 'too much work'.

"People are desperate and really struggling to get qualified, legal help. There's nowhere left to go. CLAO if they cannot assist which was the case for weeks before I left give clients a list of other lawyers who may be able to provide legal aid. I have never had one client who has had any success by going through this list and contacting those suggested. Citizens Advice can offer some basic help but they are volunteers and not specialists."

Granton Information Centre said they had operated the housing advice service on a 'standstill' budget for years but had been unable to get answers on whether funding could be extended beyond the end of March.

However, the Scottish Legal Aid Board (SLAB) who funded the service with cash from the Scottish Government, confirmed they could get funding to continue for three months while a decision on longer-term funding plans is finalised.

Sources told the Evening News that managers planned to turn down funding if it was extended, over concerns that housing cases were 'just too much work'. The charities denied this and said they had no concerns about the 'difficulty' of housing work.

While services are brought to the brink, Scotland-wide tenant union Living Rent has warned that many tenants facing eviction don't know their rights. The union has seen cases of tenants in Edinburgh being served with notice of rent increases of up to 60 per cent ahead of the cap ending. And they warn it's 'only going to get worse'.

A spokesperson for Living Rent said: "These local charities provide critical legal advice and representation and can support people to access social housing. Advocacy services being on the brink and closing down shows the depth of the housing emergency, which is only going to get worse. It is also a critical reminder that the Scottish Government can't continue to rely on charities to fill the void in much-needed help and support as people are pushed to the edge with rent increases."

A spokesperson from the Housing Advice Service (CHAI and Granton Information Centre) said: "Working together, Scottish Government funding administered through SLAB (Scottish Legal Aid Board) enabled us to provide an advice service to private rented sector tenants on a standstill budget for many years. Unfortunately, despite repeated efforts, we have been unable to ascertain whether funding for the service is to be continued after 31st March. It is with huge regret that we have been forced to wind down this much-needed service.

"As we are no longer in a position to deliver this service we are now directing people to CLAO (Edinburgh Sheriff Court Housing Advice Centre) and Shelter Scotland".