Housing people who are homeless in Glasgow: March 2018

Housing people who are homeless in Glasgow: Summary

This report sets out the findings from our review of how effectively Glasgow City Council and Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) house people who are homeless.

Main findings

 The Council is not housing enough people who are homeless quickly enough. In 2016/17 it housed around half of those it had a duty to house. Some people are housed quickly; this works best when all partners have a clear focus on moving people who are homeless into a home quickly.

 The Council’s target of securing 3,000 homes for people who are homeless each year is too low for the number of people it assesses that it has a duty to house. It is not referring enough people to RSLs to meet the level of need from people who are homeless. Many people who are homeless have to wait a long time in temporary accommodation.

 The Council and its partners have made some important improvements to the process they use to find homes for people, and they are working together more effectively.

 The Council aims for a person-centred, needs-led approach to identifying solutions for people who are homeless. This is positive, particularly for people with multiple and complex needs. However, a full and detailed assessment is not necessary for everyone; many people who approach the Council need little help other than getting a home.

 The Council’s phased approach to assessing the housing needs of people who are homeless results in duplication of work and unnecessary delay in referring people who are homeless to RSLs.

 The Council loses contact with around a quarter of people who are homeless while they wait for a home. The length and complexity of the process in Glasgow is a significant factor in this.

 Some RSLs in Glasgow are making a good contribution to housing people who are homeless; some could do more. The proportion of available homes let to people who are homeless by RSLs operating in Glasgow ranged from 8% to 47 %.

 Some RSLs in Glasgow refused referrals because the person had former tenant arrears. This is not a good reason to refuse to house a person referred by the Council under section 5 of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2001 and the Council does not always challenge this.

Publication Date: 
2018