Homeless Edinburgh families 'moved from hotels' due to Taylor Swift tourism

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Edinburgh council are struggling to house homeless families in the city, due to an influx of tourism for Taylor Swift's upcoming shows.The capital is expecting an influx of music fans during the superstar's three night performance at Murrayfield next weekend.

However, this meant many of the hotels and BnBs the council uses for temporary accommodation are currently unavailable. A council spokesperson said they are working with families to find suitable places, but they face having to move outwith the city during this time, Edinburgh Live reports.Councillor Jane Meagher, Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Convener admitted the situation is a "symptom of the housing emergency" the city is facing, reports Third Force News.She 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."Taylor Swift will play three shows at Murrayfield between June 7 and 9, with an estimated 218,000 tickets sold across the three nights.On Tuesday, Edinburgh Live reported that one American family, who are travelling thousands of miles for the gig, are being forced to stay in Dundee due to a lack of accommodation in the city.Tracey Rennie, 58, from Virginia, had to book five different hotels after her Vrbo accommodation in West Lothian was cancelled with only weeks to go.

Left scrambling around for somewhere to stay and with most places filling up fast, the family face spending one night 60 miles away in Dundee.