Rough sleepers in Glasgow have appealed to First Minister John Swinney to provide them with routes off the streets, following a UK Government pledge of £874 million to tackle homelessness in England.
The Daily Record spoke with homeless people in Glasgow city centre, some of whom have been sleeping rough for more than four years. Their pleas come after Chancellor John Healey announced an additional £432 million to tackle rough sleeping south of the border, on top of £442 million pledged earlier this year.
Pleas from Glasgow's streets
Scott McGhie, 45, a former chef from Ayrshire, has been sleeping rough in Glasgow for four and a half years, using a sleeping bag donated by a homeless charity. When he cannot find accommodation, he sleeps in bin sheds in the city-centre lanes and back streets.
Glasgow currently has around 905 people reported as sleeping rough, but McGhie believes the real numbers are far higher and under-reported. He ended up on the streets after a relationship broke down and is unable to work due to disabilities.
McGhie called on the Scottish Government to follow the UK Government's example. He said: "There are too many people looking for somewhere to sleep but not enough places. I don't know how much it will cost but John Swinney and the Scottish Government need to find the money to provide more places to live. The number of people who are homeless and sleeping rough is really bad just now."
He added: "The figures could be worse because a lot of people are not listed as homeless. We don't know the numbers, really. A lot of people are sleeping rough because there is nowhere for them to go or they don't know where to go. There is a night shelter but they are closing that down."
Homeless voices and calls for funding
Zoe Ferris, 41, from Glasgow, has been sleeping rough for the last four months after being released from hospital and has a history of mental health problems. The former hairdresser also believes the official figures understate the problem. If she cannot find a bed in a shelter, she often spends the night walking the streets.
Ferris said: "More money needs to be spent to get people off the streets. I would 100 per cent support that providing it is put into the right resources. We need a fund that is there and doesn't slip through the net and is there to support you. People like me cannot get anywhere. There also needs to be more care services."
Raymond Jones, 60, from Aberfoyle in Stirlingshire, was found sleeping in a tent in Nelson Mandela Square next to the new statue of the former South African leader. He has been sleeping rough for the last four years and called on Swinney to follow Andy Burnham's example. Jones said: "But John Swinney won't do that. He's a tight a***d bugger. They have tried this before but it has not happened. I would like to see the Scottish Government spend similar amounts to that in England. The money is there."
Charities and government respond
Members of the Scottish Tenants Organisation (STO) spent lunchtime handing out food, water and clothes to people sleeping rough in Glasgow city centre. STO campaign co-ordinator Sean Clerkin said: "It is very good news that the Labour Prime Minister Andy Burnham wants to get the homeless off the streets of England. That's the £874million that the Labour Government is going to spend. There will be 'consequentials' for Scotland of between £60 and £70million. What we are saying is that this £60 or £70million should be used to get homeless Scots off the streets and get them into permanent or temporary accommodation. If John Swinney fails to do that he is betraying the people of Scotland."
Gordon Llewellyn-MacRae, Interim Director at Shelter Scotland, said: "The Prime Minister was right to make homelessness his priority on day one. Additional funding for Scotland must be used by Scottish Ministers to reduce homelessness, uphold housing rights and deliver the social homes urgently needed."
Kate Wallace, CEO of Cyrenians, said: "We welcome the Prime Minister’s ambition on rough sleeping, and the additional funding to back it. Getting people off the streets this winter matters. This week’s national housing statistics from Scottish Government show that fewer homes are coming up for let, more households than ever are stuck in temporary accommodation. The message is clear: we can’t build our way out of this crisis. We have to prevent it."
In his Budget speech, Chancellor John Healey told MPs: "We have already promised everyone sleeping rough a route off the streets this winter. I can confirm a further £430million to keep that offer open for the rest of this Parliament. Not just this winter, but every winter. This is a moral mission for this Prime Minister, for me, for this entire Labour Party."
Andy Burnham first pledged to end rough sleeping when he took over at No 10 in July. He said: "Rough sleeping isn't a fact of life. It's a thing governments either choose to accept or don't. Well, I don't accept it. That's why we're doubling funding so that people aren't just offered a safe route off the streets this winter but have that same support right through the rest of this Parliament too."
Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice and Housing Shirley-Anne Somerville said: "This Budget delivers a real terms cut in Scotland’s budget of around £650million in 2027-28. Furthermore, I am extremely disappointed the UK Government chose not to lift people out of housing poverty by ending the freeze to local housing allowance. We will now take the time to assess the full implications for Scotland of today’s statement."
