Use of B&B hotels for homeless in Glasgow doubles in less than a year

The use of bed and breakfast and hotel accommodation to house homeless people has doubled in less than a year.

Allan Casey, the council’s convenor for homelessness, said that homelessness has got worse in the city since a housing emergency was declared in November last year

The issue was raised at a Full Council meeting by Labour councillor, Soryia Siddique, who wanted details on the impact of a national order that means councils can’t refer people who come to Glasgow to present as homeless back to other local authorities.

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Councillor Casey said hundreds of people have come to the city from other areas since the order took place.

(Image: newsquest)

He also said that the council is unable to make progress with its ambition of ending hotel and B&B use because of the rising demand.

Casey said: “Obviously since Glasgow declared a housing emergency, I think it’s fair to say the pressures have only increased and got worse.

“Over the last year, we have increased the use of bed and breakfast accommodation by 100%.

“We've had to increase that provision as much as possible and this is simply to ensure that folk aren’t sleeping rough on our streets and we’re avoiding that as much as we can.”

Since the order, 244 households have presented to Glasgow with no local connection who are unable to be refused.

Casey added: “This is clearly having an impact on services.”

But, he added: “it is worth noting at this point, we do not know how many Glasgow households have approached other local authorities.”

(Image: newsquest)

The Glasgow Times has launched the End the Homeless Hotel Shame campaign calling on owners to be forced to improve conditions, and for the Scottish Government to provide enough resources to ensure there is an adequate housing supply and for the UK Government to give cash to compensate the city for the number of asylum seekers and refugees who become homeless.

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The councillor said temporary furnished flats were being used as much as possible and alternatives to B&B were being explored.

Siddique, said: “The impact on local connections on homelessness has been discussed for over a year with no progress."

Soryia Siddique

She asked: “How many alternatives to bed and breakfasts have been implemented since Glasgow declared a housing emergency.”

Casey added: “We are obviously utilising as much as possible temporary furnished flats and that equates to around seventy-odd percent of the accommodation that we are utilising, so it’s a significant amount.

“We are still investigating as quickly as we possibly can, the use of alternative sites in the city, which hopefully we will be able to announce soon in terms of looking at alternatives to B&B accommodation but  ultimately what we want to be doing is moving away from B&B or hotel accommodation as quickly as we possibly can and we are doing everything in our powers to ensure that happens.”