In Winter 2024, members of Living Rent Lochend met with the Just Transition Commission to discuss the impacts of Edinburgh City Council's Mixed Tenure Improvement Service (MTIS) on the area. It was agreed that members compile a report to the Comission on their experience of MTIS. The report, which is published here, outlines:

• A brief history of  MTIS,
• What is felt to have gone wrong,
• Why that has happened,
• Missed opportunities and ways forward,
• The community response and progress to date.

The Just Transition Commission is an independent advisory body to the Scottish government responsible for providing scrutiny and advice on putting justice at the heart of climate action.

On Wednesday 21st May 2025, members held a public meeting at the local community centre, The Ripple Project. Councillors and MSPs were invited to hear from residents about their experience of MTIS and what could be done to make the scheme more fair. Unite City of Edinburgh Council, Friends of the Earth Scotland, and Eala Architects joined us to speak to shared solutions. 

Lochend MTIS: A Retrofit Case Study - How to ensure a just transition for all

MTIS was introduced to Lochend and Restalrig residents in 2023 when households first started to receive letters announcing the scheme. The news of millions of pounds of investment to the area was deeply welcome given the level of disrepair to buildings.

At the October 2024 meeting of the Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Committee, the MTIS team submitted a Completion Report for Wester Hailes MTIS. At this meeting, the Committee passed a motion to temporarily pause major further expansion of MTIS until February 2025, to allow any prospective changes political groups may wish to make to the scheme as part of the budget setting process.

Council tenants, private tenants and homeowners in Lochend have been working together to ensure their conditions are secure as MTIS work is carried out in their community. Implementing a just transition in the housing sector is a practical matter of pivotal importance.

The aim of this report is to share with the council generally, but specifically with the MTIS team, our communities experience of the scheme in order to make recommendations that can improve communication and participation.

Each section is comprised of questions that residents still have about the scheme, and in green boxes are our recommendations for how it would be helpful to communicate this information.

This report has been sent to the MTIS team, where we also invited them to meet with us. 

Last year, Living Rent Lochend branch celebrated winning millions of pounds of much needed investment into the housing in Lochend and Restalrig after taking action at the City Chambers. 

Now, members have written to elected Councillors and responsible council staff asking them to make sure that the Mixed Tenure Improvement Service - an area based scheme to improve housing in the community - is implemented fairly and on the community's terms. 

Living Rent members drafted a letter outlining our concerns with the scheme and our proposals to address them - back the demands and sign the letter now! 

You can read the letter in full here.