Tracy Gilbert

To mark Scottish Housing Day last week, Ms Gilbert says the stories she hears, from council tenants, private renters, and housing association residents, reveal a pattern of neglect that undermines community life as much as individual wellbeing.

Tracy Gilbert MP said: “Persistent damp, broken heating systems, and delayed repairs aren’t just inconveniences, they’re symptoms of a wider breakdown in how housing is managed.  

“If people are ignored whilst trying to resolve issues for their families, to have access to basic human rights such as heating and hot water, they feel let down by the very people they are paying to provide these services. That’s why residents’ voices must be at the centre of solutions.”

To address this, Ms Gilbert has been working with tenants across Edinburgh North and Leith to establish new resident associations. These groups empower people to come together, share their experiences, and push for accountability from landlords and housing providers. She argues that strong communities are built when residents have both the confidence and the structures to influence decisions affecting their lives.

She has also worked to co-ordinate the support of fellow Edinburgh MPs Dr Scott Arthur MP and Chris Murray MP to bring tenants into direct dialogue with housing associations and factors, creating spaces where residents’ voices drive change.

Ms Gilbert concluded: “Safe and secure housing is the fundamental right, the most important shift we can make is to put power back in the hands of residents. They understand the problems, they often hold the solutions, and when they are empowered, whole communities become stronger.”