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.