SNP 'blame game' over Glasgow homeless cuts revealed

It followed the Glasgow City Integration Joint Board, which Ms Hunter co-chairs, unanimously agreeing in May to cut £2.6m from third sector organisations providing homeless beds.

As part of plans to end homelessness, Glasgow city is moving away from emergency hostel accommodation to community-based support services, axing 68 of 974 beds from October.

The move will see thousands of pounds in funding cut from third sector groups such as the Simon Community, Aspire, Talbot Association and YPeople.

Letters released under Freedom of Information to the Scottish Tenants Organisation (STO) show the cut led to immediate concern within government.

Mr Stewart told Ms Hunter he was “concerned” at the decision and he expected the city to meet its “statutory and moral duties” to meet housing and support needs for the vulnerable.

He also said he expected Glasgow to heed the advice of the Scottish Housing Regulator to deliver on its “duties to provide temporary and emergency accommodation”.

In response, Ms Hunter defended the cut, but admitted it was “inevitable” that some third sector services would close as a result.

The STO said the two politicians appeared to be blaming each other for problems, while Shelter Scotland called for an end to "the excuses and finger pointing".

READ MORE: Agenda: Why homeless service cuts had to be made

Ms Hunter said: “While a difficult decision, it is the right one for the service and the vulnerable people that we support day to day.

“Glasgow needs to reduce the amount of emergency/supported accommodation in the city.

“If we do not do that our transition to [the new model of] Rapid Rehousing and Housing First will not be as effective as it needs to be.”

She then criticised the government for failing to provide “clarity” on funding “either this financial year, or in the years to come”.

She also said she was “concerned” that a £21m government fund to improve homeless services across Scotland was “massively oversubscribed and may not be able to support the scale of Glasgow’s need”.

She added pointedly: “As you aware, Glasgow has a higher than average population of people at risk of homelessness and with multiple and complex needs.

“You are also aware that the method used to allocate funding through the local government settlement does not reflect this.

“I would therefore welcome a discussion of what further support the Scottish Government can provide which matches the scale of our ambition - and investment - to end homelessness in this city.”

Homeless applications rose to 100 a day across Scotland last year after the biggest increase since the SNP came to power in 2007.

Despite a legal duty on councils to provide temporary accommodation, Glasgow was responsible for 95 per cent of the cases where this was refused in 2018/19.

The Scottish Government last month said it was “concerned” at the failure to meet the duty, and had agreed a “voluntary review” with Glasgow to tackle the issue.

READ MORE: Homeless applications rise to 100 a day in Scotland

Sean Clerkin, campaign coordinator for the STO, which wants the £2.6m cut reversed and more homeless funding across Scotland, said the correspondence showed Mr Stewart and Ms Hunter "at each other’s throats".

He said: “They’re trying to blame each other for the homelessness crisis. Kevin Stewart is trying to take the moral high ground, but the Scottish Government have not allocated enough money to Glasgow, which has a terrible housing problem, turning away 95% of those refused temporary accommodation in Scotland.

“Glasgow City Council is not fit for purpose for handling homelessness, and the Scottish Government don’t come out of it well either because they’re not putting enough money resources into tackling the homelessness catastrophe in Scotland.”

Graeme Brown, Director of Shelter Scotland, said: "Last week we found out that Glasgow City Council had unlawfully turned away homeless people on 3,365 occasions over the last 12 months.

"That’s a 10% increase from last year with the people affected forced to sleep on the streets, sofa surf or return to unsafe situations.

“This week, these letters expose that Glasgow City Council plans to achieve its £2.6m cuts to homelessness services in part by cutting 68 out of an already insufficient 974 emergency beds.

“There is no excuse for trampling all over people’s rights to a home. It is clear from this exchange of letters that not even Scottish Ministers are able to hold Glasgow to account.

“Exactly one year on from Shelter Scotland’s protest outside Glasgow City Chambers, the time has come to end the excuses, stop the finger pointing and force the city council to accept their legal duty to put a roof over the heads of people who need it most.”

A spokeswoman for Glasgow City Council said: “Glasgow is committed to tackling homelessness and rough sleeping.

“Glasgow also continues to invest millions in Rapid Re-Housing, including a commitment to the Housing First model, and has worked closely to support the third sector led multi-agency, city centre hub offering services to adults with multiple complex needs. Preventing homelessness and improving our service remains a core priority for the city council.

“The scale of the challenge in the city is exacerbated by the impact of the UK Government’s Universal Credit and welfare reforms, which the UN has noted has had ‘tragic consequences’.”

Mr Stewart said: "The Scottish Government is committed to ending homelessness across Scotland. As part of that we are working with Glasgow City Council to understand the local issues they face and have agreed to lead a voluntary review in partnership to identify and drive forward solutions on failure to accommodate.

“The Scottish Government has already committed a £50 million fund for ending homelessness, which will bring transformational change. This is over and above the local government settlement which enables councils to make decisions around their spend on homelessness and other requirements.”