New research has estimated that deaths of homeless people more than doubled last year in Glasgow.

The study by the Museum of Homelessness, based in London, carries out an annual Dying Homeless Project

It recorded 1286 deaths across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland in 2021, a 32% increase on the numbers reported in its 2020 study.

The Glasgow figures in the report showed an increase of 47  from 33 in 2020 to 80 in 2021.

Museum of Homelessness said UK wide it was “a staggering 80% increase over the number we published in 2019”.

The project stated: “These statistics include people sleeping rough as well as those placed in emergency accommodation and other insecure settings. Each fatality was verified by a freedom of information request, coroners’ report, charity or family member.”

"Of the cases in which we have confirmed the cause of death, 41% were related to drug and alcohol use and 12% died from completing suicide."

Jess Turtle  Co-founder of MoH, said: “These findings are a hammer blow. It’s heart-breaking to see so many people dying and to feel so helpless in the face of such a serious emergency.

“Government neglect means things keep getting worse with new provision for mental health, addiction and social housing failing to make up for previous cuts. 

“Ultimately, the government can’t fix what it doesn’t understand. There needs to be a confidential enquiry into the deaths of homeless people to allow an honest appraisal of what’s happening to the UK’s most vulnerable people.”

In Edinburgh, the project found an increase from 16 to 22 deaths and across Scotland a rise from 176 to 182.

England showed 719 deaths, up from 630, Wales down to 60 from 63 and Northern Ireland an increase from 107 to 325.

Some areas showed a reduction.

Stirling reduced from 18 to 2 and Manchester from 30 to 17.

Charities and campaigners reacted to the new report

Matt Downie, Crisis, Chief Executive, said: "The death of just one person is a tragedy, so it is even more heart-breaking and unacceptable that 1,286 people died last year whilst experiencing homelessness. That these people had to spend their last days and hours without a safe, stable home should shame us as a society.

“We cannot see this becoming a continuing trend over the next few years and for even more people to lose their lives.”

Sean Clerkin of Scottish Tenants Organisation said: “It is a scandal that the number of homeless deaths in Glasgow have more than doubled in number from 33 in 2020 to 80 in 2021 where most of them died in unsafe and unsuitable accommodation not getting the support they needed for alcohol and drug addiction as well as mental health.

“The Scottish Government have to give a lot more resources to Glasgow to deal with the scourge of homelessness in our biggest city. It is now an emergency and we must stop people dying needlessly. They are someone’s brother, sister, father and mother.”