A homeless man, who was told he could be moved 120 miles away from where he had been staying, has been left feeling depressed as a Scots council scramble to rehouse hundreds from unsuitable accommodation.
The City of Edinburgh Council is struggling to home residents after around 700 unhoused people were removed from unlicensed temporary accommodations in the capital.
On December 1, Travis Mitchell, was moved on after being told to leave homeless accommodation, Thornfield Guest House. The 25-year-old took all his belongings with him on to the street before trying to sort out somewhere else that could take him.
Earlier that week, he had been told by hostel staff that the council planned to relocate residents to Aberdeen for housing. Although Travis ended up finding accommodation in Leith instead, the prospect of relocation caused distress to the young man.
He spoke to Edinburgh Live about the moment he learned he could be moving to the other side of the country and explained: “I was panicking. I don’t know anyone in Aberdeen. It was on constant replay in my mind. I started to be sick. I felt really lost and confused and depressed.”
Travis reported not being able to sleep after learning about the potential relocation, wondering where he was going to live and if he would be safe. He added: “I’m vulnerable, people could take advantage of me or hurt me. I heard it’s worse up there with drugs. I’m scared. But it feels like I don’t have an option.”
Travis recently contracted pneumonia and was hospitalised for three days. He said his health is “getting worse and worse,” adding “when the wind starts to set in, that’s when I feel [the pneumonia] in my chest.”
While the prospect of moving to Aberdeen made him “panic,” Travis felt that accommodation up north was better than sleeping on the streets in Edinburgh all winter.
His friend Jack Dickson, 35, is also homeless and was moved from Thornfield Guest House after living there on and off for two years.
Jack grew up in Leith and has resided in Edinburgh his whole life. Hostel staff corresponded with him saying that he could be moved to Aberdeen if he wished. Jack refused the offer since he has family in Edinburgh and has never been to Aberdeen. He said: “I just don’t want to be moving that far away.”
Convenor of Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Councillor Jane Meagher said: “We make every effort to place people in temporary accommodation in the city, but sadly the reality is that demand for temporary accommodation in Edinburgh far outstrips supply.
“The stark choice facing us is that we either look for suitable accommodation outside Edinburgh or people will have to sleep on the streets, which no one wants. We would much rather find them suitable accommodation elsewhere than place people at further risk. Wherever this happens we will always support people back to accommodation within the city as soon as possible.”
A council spokesperson said: “We offered a range of locations as they became available.”
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