Homeless people have been turned away by the council and left to sleep on the streets.

On at least four nights in the last week, people have been told there is no accommodation available.

The council has a statutory duty to provide accommodation and buys up space in hotels and B&Bs in the city.

But in the last week, people have been told there is no more room.

The Glasgow Times is aware of two men who were refused help.

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One man in his 50s was refused emergency accommodation on Thursday night and told to call back the following day.

Our reporter was with him when he called on Friday evening, gave his details and was told someone would call back.

Within 30 minutes he was contacted to be told, again, there was nothing available.

He asked what he should do and whether he has to sleep on the streets.

He was told there was no accommodation available for him and told to call again on Saturday.

On Sunday, he was still being told there was nothing and to call again on Monday morning.

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The man, who we have chosen not to identify, said: “They told me there’s nowhere to put me.

“I asked if I should sleep on the streets and they said ‘I’m not saying that. We just don’t have anywhere for you’.

“Last night I just walked around the city. I’m shattered and my legs are killing me.

“I saw some guys sleeping in doorways but I can’t do that

“This is all new to me. I don’t know what to do.”

He said found himself with nowhere to stay after a domestic break-up and had been sleeping in someone’s garden shed for a few nights but they didn’t know he was there, then he registered as homeless.

He spent one night in a car park to shelter from the rain.

He said: “I’ve had no advice or help.”

The man was put in touch with Homeless Project Scotland where he went on Thursday and they directed him to the emergency number.

On Friday night, he returned there for some food and a hot drink.

Whilst there, he contacted the council service again only to be told there was nothing available.

On the same evening, the Scottish Government housing minister, Paul McLennan, was visiting the service.

Glasgow Times:

He was informed of the man’s plight by staff but said he couldn’t do anything until Monday morning.

The Glasgow Times attempted to speak to the minister but was told to call the press office.

The Glasgow Times is aware of another man who was also told on Thursday there was no accommodation available.

Alan Hamilton, operations manager at Homeless Project Scotland, said the situation is getting worse.

He said: “The last four nights in a row, there has been no accommodation left.”

If people come to the charity at risk of rough sleeping, they put them in touch with the council homelessness service.

He added: “We had two people on Wednesday and three on Thursday. They were left on the streets.

“It is a breach of the homelessness legislation and it is not acceptable.

“We can offer a sleeping back and a hot drink. It is shocking the council cannot fulfil its duty.

“It is really upsetting for us as volunteers to see that.

“It is getting worse. This has been happening for the last month or so.”

A spokesperson for the Glasgow Health and Social Care Partnership said: “We are aware of cases where we have been unable to provide accommodation at the point of request and continue to review these.

“However, these cases do not translate into an increase in rough sleeping, with people supported with alternative arrangements until accommodation becomes available. 

“We continue to provide emergency accommodation wherever possible, including more than 40 spot purchases of hotels and B&B accommodation in this month alone.

“Glasgow HSCP Homelessness Services are seeing an increased demand for assistance due to a variety of pressures including the cost of living crisis, however, we will continue to review the circumstances of anyone we are unable to offer emergency accommodation to on a case-by-case basis, while ensuring those at greatest need are supported accordingly.”

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “Scotland has some of the strongest homelessness legislation in the world and local authorities have a legal duty to provide accommodation to anyone at risk of homelessness.

“The Scottish Government is in regular contact with both local authorities and frontline outreach teams to monitor the number of people sleeping rough and to respond to pressures.

“We know that preventing homelessness before it happens is critical which is why we are providing local authorities with £30.5 million annually for their work to prevent homelessness in addition to homelessness funding provided through the local government settlement.

“Separately, we are providing a total of £100m from our multi-year Ending Homelessness Together fund to transform the homelessness system. We also plan to introduce new homelessness prevention duties, including a duty on public bodies to ‘ask and act’ about housing situations to help prevent homelessness.”