A 30-year-old homeless man in Glasgow has described being robbed three times, assaulted, and even urinated on while sleeping rough. Kieran McCusker, originally from Dumfries, became homeless three months ago after a relationship breakdown and moved to Glasgow seeking work and accommodation, only to end up on the streets.
Rough sleeping numbers surge in Glasgow
New figures obtained by the Scottish Tenants Organisation from Glasgow City Council under Freedom of Information show that the number of rough sleepers in Glasgow has risen by more than 250 percent in five months. From January 1 to February 15 this year, there were 203 rough sleepers. That number rose to 372 by March 30 and 552 by May 15—a 271 percent increase.
Campaigners have called for more housing to address what they describe as a "homeless catastrophe." Kieran has slept in a cemetery, under a railway bridge, and in a bush. On one occasion, he ended up in hospital after his blanket and sleeping bag were stolen while he slept in a bush.
Kieran's ordeal on the streets
Kieran said: "I have slept rough in all sorts of places including the doorway of a McDonald's. It is embarrassing, it is degrading. It's not something that you want to be doing. I have been robbed three times since I came to Glasgow. I have been p****d on sleeping in a doorway and assaulted in a doorway." He survives by begging but faces threats from other homeless people trying to take over his pitch. He is on a waiting list for a furnished flat and is desperate to return to work.
Another rough sleeper, Jacqueline from Springburn, a 41-year-old mother of two, was kicked out of her privately rented flat in East Kilbride three years ago. She recently secured a furnished flat in Govanhill but says finding accommodation is a struggle. She said: "They need to start building for the homeless. All the marches and protests you see in Glasgow you don't see any for the homeless. I feel we are forgotten."
Charity and campaigner responses
Colin McInnes of Homeless Project Scotland believes official figures undercount the problem. His charity sees an average of 1,023 people each month at their city-centre shelter. He said: "People come to us because they have been sleeping rough and have stumbled across our shelter and our service. Nobody chooses to sleep rough. People who sleep in our shelter are also classed as rough sleeping because they are sleeping on a mattress on a floor. That is 33 people every night." He added that some sleep in tents outside the shelter, which courts recognise as rough sleeping.
Sean Clerkin, campaign coordinator for the Scottish Tenants Organisation, said: "The rapid rise in those sleeping rough on the streets of Glasgow shows the extent of the housing and homelessness catastrophe across the country. We need thousands of new homes quickly where we can house homeless people instead of abandoning them."
The FOI report also shows that 9,113 homeless people are living in temporary accommodation in Glasgow, including hotels and B&Bs, of whom 3,246 are children. Stella Rooney of Living Rent said: "No-one should have to spend a night sleeping on the streets, and it's shameful that the number of rough sleepers in our city has shot up. Each of the 552 people who have had to put their life at risk by sleeping rough has been failed by landlords, housing associations, Glasgow City Council and the Scottish Government."
Maeve McGoldrick, head of policy and communications at Crisis Scotland, said: "These figures are deeply concerning and reflect a trend we are seeing in communities across Scotland. The fact that rough sleeping is continuing to rise is a clear sign that Scotland's homelessness system is under immense pressure."
Official responses
A spokeswoman for Glasgow City Health and Social Care Partnership said they receive weekly reports from the Simon Community and that they continue to engage with those they have a responsibility for, ensuring emergency accommodation is available where possible. She acknowledged the lack of accessible housing supply and said they review and respond to this weekly.
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: "Everyone in Scotland has a right to support when experiencing homelessness, and we expect councils to fulfil their duties. The legal duty for preventing and responding to homelessness sits with local authorities. We are providing Glasgow City Council with £123 million this year through our Affordable Housing Supply Programme. We are taking decisive action through our Housing Emergency Action Plan, which commits up to £4.9 billion over four years to deliver around 36,000 affordable homes."
Last month, the Daily Record reported that the cost of housing homeless people in B&Bs and hotels in Glasgow has trebled to almost £68 million since 2022, partly due to a surge in migrants granted leave to remain. Glasgow City Council first declared a housing emergency in November 2023.
