HOMELESS people must register at one of Glasgow's three Community Casework Teams first thing in the morning to have any chance of getting a bed for the night.

 

I had been sent to the Twomax Building in the Gorbals where hundreds of people from the south side of the city are seen every week.

After waiting more than an hour with a dozen homeless people, including a couple with young children, I was called into an interview room.

I explained that I had been to the Hamish Allan Centre the previous night where staff had recorded my visit before admitting they had no beds in Glasgow.

The caseworker left the room for a few minutes before returning and telling me: "I've looked on the computer and there is nothing."

I was then asked to explain again why I was homeless and I told the caseworker the same story I had given to staff at the Hamish Allan Centre - a relationship breakdown had meant I had to leave the flat I shared with my partner.

After a series of questions about my circumstances the caseworker said she would process my application and carry out a risk assessment.

I was told to return at 3pm if I hadn't been contacted about accommodation.

As I got up to leave the caseworker wrote down a phone number for a local law firm and urged me to call it.

"Contact them and you'll get somewhere," the caseworker said. "They'll give you legal aid and they'll take the council to court."

I reminded the council worker that there were no beds in Glasgow last night, according to colleagues at the Hamish Allan Centre.

The caseworker said: "Listen, I'm not sitting here telling you this for nothing. They'll fax us and we'll get you a B&B.

"I don't want to see people out on the street. We need to put everybody up but the council doesn't have any money."

I asked if it is normal practice to advise homeless people to sue the caseworker's employer when the statutory duty to find accommodation is not met.

They said: "I do work for the council but everyone has the right to a bed for the night. I can't imagine what it must be like to leave a house that you're in and have to sleep in the street.

"No one should be homeless in 2015."

A spokesman for Glasgow City Council said: "We fully acknowledge there are significant pressures currently impacting on our homelessness service.

"There is a number of factors which has led to this. For example, the council is completely dependent on registered social landlords to provide permanent accommodation for people affected by homelessness but insufficient numbers of homes are being made available to help meet demand.

"A lack of permanent homes means homeless people get stuck in temporary accommodation and this then reduces the availability of places to stay in an emergency.

"However, we are investing over £12m in two new emergency accommodation units while enhancing our street team service to ensure that rough sleepers are being directed to appropriate support.

"A far greater emphasis is now also being placed on preventing homelessness and this approach is helping to reduce the overall number of homelessness applications.

"Progress is also being made with housing providers to secure additional flats for the homelessness service. We continue to work with voluntary organisations to address homelessness issues in a range of ways."

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