Janet Haugh: Glasgow’s homelessness challenge demands action on every front

The recent news that Glasgow missed its affordable housing targets prompted an important discussion about how we tackle one of the biggest challenges facing the city. The reality is that delivering new homes has become increasingly difficult. 

Rising construction costs, delays in bringing sites forward and wider pressures across the housing system are affecting housing providers and local authorities across Scotland, not just Glasgow. Glasgow City Council has been clear about these challenges while continuing to prioritise the delivery of new affordable homes. 

More affordable housing is desperately needed and must remain a priority. However, people experiencing homelessness today cannot wait years for new developments to be completed. Thousands of people across Glasgow need somewhere safe, stable and affordable to live right now.

We need to keep building more homes, but we also need to make better use of the homes we already have. That’s why the conversation must be about more than just housing supply. It also needs to be about the more immediate practical solutions that can help people while longer-term housing is delivered.

At Right There, we support people in communities across the length and breadth of Scotland. In Glasgow we’ve developed an approach that makes greater use of the private rented sector. Working alongside Glasgow City Council, landlords and letting agents, we now help to manage almost 600 properties across the city, providing people with safe, furnished homes while longer-term housing options are identified.

What makes this approach so valuable is that it gives people the chance to live in ordinary homes within ordinary communities. They have a front door of their own, can stay connected to local services, family and support networks, and have the stability needed to begin planning for the future.

We know that this approach works. The lessons we’ve learned through our work in Glasgow, and elsewhere across Scotland show that it can provide a more dignified alternative to unsuitable emergency accommodation while helping to reduce pressure on a housing system that is already under enormous strain.

No one would suggest that temporary accommodation is the answer to Glasgow’s housing challenges. The long-term goal must always be a safe, secure and permanent home. But until there are enough homes to meet demand, the private rented sector has an important role to play. Existing homes can often be brought into use far more quickly than new homes can be built, helping people access accommodation sooner, while wider housing supply challenges are addressed.

The scale of the housing emergency means that no single organisation can solve it alone. Glasgow has a strong track record of partnership working and that will be essential if we are to meet the challenges ahead.

For too long, discussions about homelessness have focused on numbers. We need to remember that every number represents a person who needs somewhere safe to call home.

That means continuing to build more homes, but it also means backing the practical solutions that are already making a difference right now. We cannot expect people facing homelessness to wait for the housing market to catch up. They need support, stability and somewhere to call home today.