CAMPAIGNERS today warned that a community in Glasgow needed more than £187million to bring slum homes up to standard.

CAMPAIGNERS today warned that a community in Glasgow needed more than £187million to bring slum homes up to standard.

A detailed study of 131 typical tenement properties in Govanhill found even carrying out essential repairs would cost an average of £80,000 per home - and there are hundreds more just like them.

Today Communities Minister Stewart Maxwell toured the area as campaigners called for it to be made a special case meriting national assistance.

Mr Maxwell was invited by Councillor Anne Marie Millar to see for himself the multiple problems faced by residents and agencies supporting them.

The visit follows months of campaigning against slum housing, often in flats operated by private landlords. Local politicians and voluntary groups are calling for stronger legal powers and crucial extra funding to tackle decades of neglect that has left several hundreds homes below tolerable standard.

In a briefing to the minister, councillors warned: "Under the legislation as it currently stands, failure of a private landlord to comply with legislation requirements will at no stage involve the ultimate sanction of prison.

"Given the large cash flows and high assets of many landlords involved in Govanhill, this may make enforcement very difficult.

Litter and fly-tipping are rife and racial tensions have risen in the past two years.

The survey carried out by Govanhill Housing Association, with Glasgow City Council backing, has revealed the extent of the difficulties caused by slum housing.It was conducted on a typical Govanhill tenement block, surrounded by: Allison Street, Langside Road, Dixon Avenue and Westmoreland Street.

This area has been dubbed "Ground Zero" by locals.

In the block, researchers heard 14 languages spoken in the 131 flats they visited.

Not one flat met the minimum tolerable standard for Scottish housing.

The housing association believes hundreds more homes in the area are in a similar condition but say there are no funds available to carry out the detailed surveys needed.

Council figures suggest just carrying out essential repairs on them would cost up to £150m - or £80,000 per home.

Even with essential repairs, the homes would still be below the tolerable standard currently demanded of housing associations, although those standards are not adhered to by the numerous private landlords in the area. It would cost another £37m to bring homes up to minimum standard.

A council spokesman said: "Housing in the area is now in a very poor state of repair and requires substantial investment. At present there are 12 street blocks containing around 1870 homes that are causing particular concern."

Ms Millar said the area had extra, complex needs which had to be tackled urgently.

The Labour councillor said: "I am very pleased the minister has agreed to come and learn at first hand the problems we face.

"There are huge issues to be addressed in this area and it is clear to me that we require support at a national level.

"It is my view that Govanhill must be given a special status so that we can get a grip on the difficulties we are facing."

Ms Millar is backing calls for the area to be designated a "Housing Renewal Area" that would strengthen Glasgow City Council's hand in forcing landlords to either repair private properties or make its own repairs and demolish the very worst properties.

Legislation passed two years ago allows councils to apply to the Scottish Government for the status to cover housing in a selected area, thus increasing their powers to control regeneration in that area.

Mike Dailly, of Govan Law Centre, said: "Housing Renewal Area status would greatly streamline the process, allowing the council to do what it needs to in terms of compulsory purchase orders, demolitions or repair orders."

Govanhill Housing Association chairwoman Janice McEwan said: "Slum housing is just not tolerable in the 21st century and is the root cause of many of the problems we've got here.

"What has made it worse is the overcrowding in many privately rented flats.

"Economic migrants have been squeezed into flats; many have Victorian conditions including cockroaches, rats, bed bugs, leaking roofs, no proper heating.

"Between 1974 and 2004 Govanhill Housing Association improved 2300 flats - between 2004 and 2008, not a single one!

"We are asking the Minister for Communities, Stewart Maxwell, to sit up and listen to the community in Govanhill and give us the resources to get the job done."