The Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) is selling property deemed surplus to requirements and as a result, 47 families are concerned they will be handed eviction notices.

The Dreghorn estate neighbours the active Dreghorn Barracks and houses a mixture of military, private and council-tenanted families.

In July 2022, the DIO declared its Dreghorn properties as ‘surplus to requirement’ and informed the Scottish Government of its plans to dispose of the housing units.

Phase 1 of this plan saw the City of Edinburgh Council purchase 23 Dreghorn properties in March 2023 and Phase 2 in January of this year saw a further 17 homes purchased. So far, these purchases have been for unoccupied properties only. 

The local authority has expressed an interest in the final phase of this plan with a further 38 properties available for purchase. Of the remaining properties, 19 are occupied by tenants who have been informed by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) that they will be served eviction notices in August of this year.

The 19 families facing eviction are working tirelessly to ensure that a solution is found to keep them in their homes. 

Some 26 residents of the estate, who are members of Living Rent, met with the convener of the Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Committee, Cllr Lezley Marion Cameron, convener of the Finance and Resource Committee, Cllr Mandy Watts, local Cllr for Colinton/Fairmilehead Connor Savage and Scott Arthur MP while campaigning against the evictions. 

Though the March 18th meeting was described as “positive”, with councillors stating the last thing they want to do is make anyone homeless, Living Rent said the council was unable to make a commitment at this stage to purchase the homes due to financial planning. 

Mandy Burgen, affected tenant and member of Living Rent, said: “We have lived with this since November last year and each day is an agonising wait to see if the council will act to buy with the tenants in or if we will be made homeless. 

“The MoD has agreed to sell with the tenants in, we fit the social housing criteria, many are awaiting council houses and the council has expressed their interest in the final phase of 38 homes. It makes no sense to make 18 families homeless before buying the homes to combat homelessness. It just makes no sense and our lives have been torn apart.

“The average waiting time in temporary housing could potentially cost the council millions in the long run. It feels like we are in the middle of an MoD and council issue, where we are set to lose everything.

“The council knows our crisis, but the MoD is holding the smoking gun by demanding a sale must be met before August and if not, they will evict every one of us.”

Sinead McNulty, Edinburgh City organiser of Living Rent, added: “This situation isn’t just about preventing evictions. It’s about keeping our communities together, not uprooting long-established lives and allowing people the dignity to choose where they live.

“Housing negotiations have a very real, significant impact on the lives and wellbeing of the people in these homes. Insecurity and inaction is unacceptable. People deserve housing security and a right to know what’s going on.”