Fears cost of Glasgow's homelessness crisis 'could grow to £90m' as Greens call for special meeting

Fears that Glasgow’s homelessness costs could grow to more than £90m have sparked calls for an extraordinary council meeting.

The city’s Green group wants councillors to meet before it sets its annual budget next month due to the “severity” of the crisis, as it warned of drastic cuts and council tax rises.

Cllr Jon Molyneux, the group’s co-leader, said parties needed to come together to “demand a special deal” from governments. However, the meeting is unlikely to go ahead as both the SNP and Labour aren’t supportive.

A council spokesman said a special meeting can be called if at least 22 elected members put it in writing to the chief executive. Outside the two main parties, there are only 17 councillors.

Currently, Glasgow City Council is facing a £56m overspend due to pressure on the city’s homelessness services. The Greens said there are fears this could increase to over £90m.

Glasgow declared a housing emergency in November 2023 due to the mounting pressure. A recent health and social care meeting heard that, on January 13, there were 4,847 households in temporary accommodation, with 2,287 of these in unsuitable B&Bs or hotels.

The use of B&Bs and hotels is costing around £4.5m per month, a report to the meeting added.

Councillors face having to make drastic cuts and council tax rises when they meet to set a budget on February 24, as neither the UK or Scottish Governments have responded to the city’s calls for help to stem demand, the Greens have said.

Cllr Molyneux added: “Calling a special meeting of the council is unprecedented but we think it is necessary to signal the severity of the homelessness budget crisis in Glasgow.

“We think this should lead to a ‘Team Glasgow’ approach, with parties coming together to demand a special deal for the city in response to these unique budget pressures, over which the council has very little control.

“We hope councillors will put aside any party political interests and do what is right for Glasgow.”

However, a spokesperson for the SNP group said: “We have made very clear the unique challenges the city faces and have written again to the UK Government to highlight the impact of their policy choices on our homelessness services.

“With the budget meeting less than four weeks away, we believe that our time, and that of council officials, is best served by working with the Scottish Government to deliver the best possible settlement for the people of Glasgow.”

A Labour group spokesperson said: “We need action from the SNP Scottish Government, not empty talk on the homelessness pressures facing the city.

“The Scottish Government must act and use the biggest funding settlement in the history of devolution to fund Glasgow properly.”

At an integration joint board (IJB) meeting earlier this month, members were told the council’s homelessness pressure of £56m relates to “continuing trends around those presenting in the city who have been given leave to remain”. Over three quarters of households in B&Bs or hotels were refugees, health chiefs said.

Once someone seeking asylum has been granted leave to remain, they have 56 days to leave Home Office accommodation and find housing. Many are left homeless and require help from the council.

Councils in England house people in ‘priority need’ but in Scotland rules cover anyone who is unintentionally homeless. Refugees who have been granted leave to remain in other parts of the UK can also make a homeless application to a Scottish council.