East Lothian faces almost five-year waits for council houses, ranking among the highest in the UK, highlighting housing challenges.
Alan Boswell Group did a study. They asked UK councils about delays. East Lothian ranked sixth longest in the UK. Only Aberdeen was worse in Scotland. The UK average wait is 2.9 years.
Some Scottish councils did not share data. Eight of thirty-two did not respond. East Lothian also had empty houses. They had 307 vacant homes. Now, they say the number is down to 228.
The council finds the situation hard. Social housing demand is very high. One-bedroom homes are scarce right now. The council made an action plan. They hope to deal with these problems.
Measures exist to reuse empty houses faster. East Lothian is a desired place to live. Social housing turnover is quite low. Council rents are also relatively inexpensive. Private rents are expensive and limited, they added.
The council thinks the data is incomplete. It lacks data from all Scottish councils. The Alan Boswell Group thinks this needs focus. Empty homes and long waits are concerning.
Vacant homes can decay and be insecure. This drains local resources. Fixing it could house people quickly. AIPRM thinks AI can help housing. Councils could use artificial intelligence.
AI can analyze needs and availability. This helps with real-time choices. It spots patterns in application declines. Councils could reassess needs after many declines.
AI can find issues like in Aberdeen. One person rejected 13 offers over 17 years. Technology could create limits and fairness. This could reduce wait times faster. It benefits both people and local authorities.