NOW that Glasgow City Council has declared a housing and homelessness emergency it’s vital to see that translate into action.

This must be a call which brings partners together to work for the solutions – and fight for the funding – that will make both an immediate and long-term difference.

Green councillors supported declaring an emergency but we did want to draw out some important points which risked being overlooked.

We have an immediate and escalating crisis because the UK Government is clearing its backlog of asylum claims from countries where positive decisions are most likely.

That’s being done in an unplanned manner which is both reckless for the impact on statutory services and callous in its disregard for human rights.

However, it is both incorrect and dangerous to suggest this is the cause of the emergency Glasgow now faces.

In truth, this is another awful layer on top of existing crises in the supply of homes and in the underfunding of homelessness services which provide a vital safety net.

We’ve not built enough homes. Brexit, the Covid pandemic and the subsequent economic chaos have been huge factors in that.

We’ve also got too many empty homes and not enough powers or finance to get them back into use.

We’re still too reliant on hotel and bed and breakfast accommodation and people lack the care and support that’s needed.

It’s tragic that so many deaths have occurred in temporary accommodation in the past year.

One thing is clear, the scale of this challenge is such that the council cannot possibly deal with it on its own. (There’s a separate discussion to be had about how councils are denuded of necessary powers and resources, particularly in Glasgow’s case because we have transferred out all our former housing stock.)

The emergency declaration can galvanise a city response.

Public, business and third sector organisations can work together, building on a strong history of stepping up to support our citizens in need.

But make no mistake – the real action that’s needed is from our two governments.

The Scottish Government needs to look at how it can bring forward planned investment in new homes and speed up their delivery, as well as funding homelessness services properly in the upcoming Scottish Budget.

It can also deliver lasting rent controls and homelessness prevention duties through the planned Housing Bill.

But responsibility for the urgent pressures must lie with the UK Government and it must fully fund the impact of its decisions.

It’s shameful that it can find £8 billion to fix potholes but not a penny more to stop people becoming destitute on our streets this winter.

If it will not step up, we should be prepared to use every bit of leverage we have to stand up to this shocking disregard for our city and all our citizens.

It’s important now that Glasgow speaks with one voice and that by declaring an emergency we get an emergency response.