Homeless people have been sent out of Edinburgh to make way for Taylor Swift fans ahead of the popstar’s Eras Tour performances in the city from 7 to 9 June.
Housing and homelessness charity Shelter Scotland has said several of the homeless people it supports had been sent out of the city via taxi to other locations including Aberdeen, Glasgow, and as far away as Newcastle, to stay in temporary accommodation to pre-empt a shortage in accommodation as tourists flock to the area for the concert.
The charity told the BBC it was “a blatant injustice” for homeless people to be “in direct competition” with tourists. Edinburgh City Council said it was working with affected households to find “appropriate, alternative accommodation”.
Swift will kick off the UK leg of her billion-dollar Eras tour at Edinburgh’s Murrayfield Stadium on 7 June. The stadium has a seating capacity of more than 65,000. Many fans, however, who are not ticket holders are expected to arrive in the city to stand outside the stadium in the hopes of catching a glimpse of the musician.
Competition for hotel rooms is fierce, with budget hotel chains like Holiday Inn charging more than £200 for a one-night stay in Edinburgh town from 7 to 8 June.
Shelter said that people being declared homeless in Edinburgh, who would usually be offered temporary accommodation such as hotels, were being sent out of the city due to a severe shortage in accommodation caused by the concert.
There is a legal obligation for people declared homeless in Scotland to be offered emergency temporary accommodation. This can come in the form of hotels when other options are full.
The city’s council declared a housing emergency last November, citing record homelessness figures amid a shortage of social housing and increased private rental costs. It said that housing homeless people in hotels was a symptom of the housing crisis.
Edinburgh City Council has said it is not moving tenants out of temporary accommodation to make way for Taylor Swift fans, but housing convenor Councillor Jane Meagher said: “It is a symptom of the housing emergency we face in Edinburgh that at times we must use tourist accommodation to house homeless households.
“We know it won’t be available year-round, particularly over the busy summer months, so we use it reluctantly as a last resort.
“We’re aware of the situation and are working with the affected households to find appropriate, alternative accommodation.”
Shelter Scotland director Alison Watson told the BBC that the situation in Edinburgh was further evidence of the urgency of the country’s housing emergency.
“In Edinburgh that emergency now places people experiencing homelessness in direct competition with tourists; a blatant injustice,” she said.
“Our frontline services are already seeing people in need of a bed tonight being told their only option is to leave of the city.
“A family going through the trauma of homelessness in Edinburgh should not have to move miles from their job, school, and community to find emergency accommodation.”
Watson warned that without action from the Scottish government, the city could be facing similar issues during its annual Fringe Festival in August, which sees thousands of tourists make their way to Scotland for comedy and theatre performances.
The Independent has contacted representatives of Swift and Edinburgh Council for comment.
