Glasgow City Council has come under fire over a report suggesting the local authority has failed in its legal duties to homeless people.

The new Scottish Housing Regulator (SHR) report shows that pre-pandemic the Council did not ensure it had enough suitable temporary accommodation and did not provide temporary accommodation to significant numbers of people when they needed it. Other evidence suggests families with children being turned away without the Council knowing where they would sleep that night, and of single people being sent to sleep on the streets with the Council's knowledge.

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Other more positive findings include 17 new staff hired in recent months and an increase in the number of lets from housing association has made a real difference during the pandemic.

Shelter Scotland has hit out at the local authority over the "systemic failure" of its homelessness services.

The company's Director Alison Watson said: "We took legal action last year because we'd had enough of the Council routinely breaking the law and forcing people onto the streets. This inquiry wouldn't have happened if it wasn’t for the thousands of people who supported our action, in Glasgow and beyond.

"We'll now take the time to carefully reflect on the report and assess what needs to happen next. We welcome the Regulator's findings and recommendations and look forward to meeting to discuss the issues further. The test will be how Glasgow City Council responds positively to this unprecedented intervention.

"Our shared goal must be to ensure that everyone who presents to the Council as homeless is provided with the safe and suitable accommodation they're legally entitled to."

(CM)