Homelessness

Important Information

Due to the current situation regarding Coronavirus there are some changes to how you access some Homelessness services:

During office hours, you should contact your nearest Community Homeless Service

Out of Hours Homelessness Services - if you are homeless and need a service after 4:45pm Monday to Thursday or 3:55 on a Friday and weekends

Please Call: 0800 838 502

Asylum and Refugee Team (No Change)
44 South Portland Street Glasgow
G5 9JJ
Phone: 0141 222 7352

If you need an asylum service then please use the address/phone number above.

For further advice and guidance please read our dedicated services update page. 

We thank you for your patience during this time.

What does it mean?

The law states that you are homeless if you:

• have no accommodation at all
• have somewhere to stay but you cannot gain entry to it (for example, your landlord has changed the locks)
• have somewhere to stay but you are being threatened with violence (for example, by neighbours, a former partner or family member)
• have somewhere to stay but it is not reasonable to stay there because of overcrowding and this overcrowding is bad for your health
• have somewhere to stay but its poor standard means it is not reasonable for you to stay there
• have somewhere to stay but you do not have permission to stay there
• are living in either B&B accommodation, a hotel, hostel or refuge
• have been staying with family or friends but they have asked you to leave
• usually live in a mobile home (for example, a caravan or boat) but there is nowhere for you to put it.

You are threatened with homelessness if you are likely to become homeless within two months.

How do I get help if I am homeless?

We have a legal duty to help people who are homeless or are threatened with homelessness.

During office hours, you should contact your nearest Community Homeless Service

Out of Hours Homelessness Services - if you are homeless and need a service after 4:45pm Monday to Thursday or 3:55 on a Friday and weekends

Please Call: 0800 838 502

As a minimum, the council will arrange for you to receive:

• Advice and Information
• Temporary Accommodation

We will carry out an assessment to check if you:

• are homeless or threatened with homelessness
• made yourself homeless intentionally
• have a local connection with Glasgow or another local authority.

Depending on your homelessness assessment, you may also be entitled to a Scottish Secure Tenancy with a housing association or cooperative, or an Assured Tenancy with a private landlord.

Please be aware that the Homelessness Resource Directory is no longer available.

What is Housing First?

Housing First is a simple but radically different approach to tackling homelessness and it significantly challenges established practice.  It allows people to be rapidly rehoused in independent tenancies in the community, with no requirement to go through the traditional housing programme.  A bespoke, outreach support package is available to help those in the programme and includes:

• helping the person adjust and settle into their home and their community
• assisting and enabling day to day tasks
• help with money management
• help with appointments and linking with the recovery network and other community activities. 

This support helps ensure the person is in a better position to:

• sustain a permanent tenancy
• access community support, health care and social benefits.

The person is not required to be abstinent - instead, the Housing First programme focuses on a harm reduction approach.

Although the Housing First programme is delivered by a few agencies, it has a  single referral process [230kb]. 

GCHSCP are working in partnership with the Housing First Consortium Glasgow (a joint partnership between Turning Point Scotland, Simon Community Scotland, Salvation Army and Loretto Care) to deliver Housing First. 

Who is Housing First for?

The Housing First Service is for:

• homeless people with multiple complex needs who have been involved in Rapid Rehousing but were not able to see it through to the end
• single people / couples with a significant history of two or more of the following (not exhaustive) indicators of multiple complex needs:
  •  addiction
  •  involvement in criminal justice system
  •  anti-social behaviour
  •  violence
  •  mental health
  •  rough Sleeping (current/ in the past)
  •  begging
  •  veteran
  •  history of incomplete engagement with services
  •  alcohol related brain damage
  •  lengthy history of involvement with services

How do I apply for Housing First?

In line with the Scottish Government agreement, the next steps for Housing First is to transition towards establishing Housing First as an HSCP Part-funded service.  Referrals are currently on hold while we work on setting up the new arrangements.

What happens to my belongings when I'm homeless?

We have a legal duty to protect your property if you are awaiting a homelessness assessment or have been assessed as homeless or threatened with homelessness. This duty includes the storage of belongings that you are temporarily unable to look after. For example, this may be because there is insufficient space within your temporary accommodation to store your furniture.

The council:

• may arrange storage space and / or accommodation for any pet
• may provide this service even if it no longer has a duty to accommodate you
• may make a reasonable charge for this service.

Do I need to pay for any temporary accommodation you provide?

Housing Benefit may cover some of the costs of temporary accommodation. The amount of Housing Benefit you receive will depend on your personal circumstances, savings and income. We will make every effort to ensure the accommodation found for you is affordable.

Costs which are not covered by Housing Benefit include charges for:

• meals
• heating
• lighting
• hot water

Health Services if you are homeless

If you are homeless or staying in temporary accommodation you can use the specialist Homelessness Health Services based at Hunter Street. These services will give support during your homelessness crisis and then help you move on to use community-based services when it is appropriate.

Our Homelessness Health & Resource Services run from a purpose built unit. With clinic and treatment rooms, it is a base for the Homeless GP Practice and many of the staff who support health services for homeless people.

Contact address:
Homelessness Health & Resource Services
55 Hunter Street
Glasgow G4 0UP
Phone 0141 553 2803