The Scottish Housing Regulator this week has begun an investigation into Glasgow City Council's homelessness services. The concern is that Glasgow is not meeting its statutory duties to provide accommodation to people who approach them for homelessness assistance, pending a decision on their case, and instead are more or less systematically turning people away. Apparently they did it 3,365 times last year.
News story to show that this is a Thing: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-50714286
In October this year Shelter Scotland started legal proceedings against Glasgow City Council regarding its failure to accommodate people: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland- ... t-49896758
The regulator announced it would be investigating this last Monday (9th).
Here is the regulator's statement on it: https://www.housingregulator.gov.scot/a ... e-homeless
The Regulator's 2018 report is here: https://www.housingregulator.gov.scot/l ... in-glasgowThe Regulator said that it will visit the Council to directly test its performance, with a particular focus on how the Council discharges its duty to provide people with emergency and temporary accommodation.
The Regulator published a report on the Council in March 2018 which highlighted a range of serious weaknesses in the Council’s performance in delivering services to people who are homeless.
Kathleen McInulty, Assistant Director of Regulation, said:
”We have been monitoring the Council’s performance since our report last year. The Council is reporting that it continues to fail to meet its duties to provide temporary and emergency accommodation to a significant number of people who approach it for help. It also reported that people who are homeless are still waiting significant times for a permanent home.”
The Regulator will publish the findings from its inquiry in the new year. It will then determine its future regulatory strategy for the Council.
Clearly it won't be just Glasgow doing this so the outcome of this potentially has broader significance.