Homelessness has rocketed in Glasgow while new build social housing is at worryingly low levels.

New figures released on the same day show homelessness at a 10-year high but the number of new homes is still among the lowest in recent history.

There has been a 15% increase in homeless applications in Glasgow contributing to Scotland recording its highest level in more than a decade.

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Latest figures show more than 40,000 homeless applications across the country.

In Glasgow, there were 7725 applications in 2022/23 up from 6742 the year before and from 6075 in 2019/20.

Hundreds of people said they had slept rough before making an application as homeless to the council in Glasgow.

In the last year, there was a massive jump from 325 to 640 who said they were rough sleeping the night before.

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According to a Scottish Government statistical release: “The increases are largely due to Glasgow, with the highest numerical increases across all measures.

“Glasgow have attributed these to an increase in applications from asylum seekers and refugees.”

The report found homelessness applications in Glasgow from those present in the UK e.g. because they have been granted refugee status or leave to remain, have nearly doubled in the last year, from 1,384 to 2,709.

The Scottish Government said it has provided record funding for councils to tackle homelessness.

(Image: Scottish Government)

Paul McLennan, Housing Minister, said: “These figures are deeply concerning and I know the lack of a settled home seriously affects people’s health and life chances.

“Working with representatives from across the housing sector is crucial.

“We have made record funding of more than £14 billion available to councils in 2024-25 to deliver a range of services, including in homelessness services, and we will continue to support councils to tackle the crisis.

“However, we must stop homelessness from happening in the first place and ensure affordable homes are available when people need them, we are taking action on both fronts.”

The homeless figures come as it was revealed the number of social homes built in Scotland in the last year dropped by a quarter.

The private sector built 14,240 homes and the social sector built 5,053 homes.

Building work on 11,795 homes was started by the private sector and 3,501 homes by the social sector.

Excluding 2020 (where Covid-19 impacted housebuilding) completions were the lowest since the year to end of June 2018 and starts the lowest since the year to end of June 2013 in both the social and private sector.

In Glasgow, there were just 337 new build social homes started, the second lowest in at least 14 years.

The Scottish Federation of Housing Associations warned that housing associations had been hamstrung by ‘repeated hammer-blow cuts’ to the affordable housing budget.

Sally Thomas SFHA Chief Executive said: “Today’s housing and homelessness figures underline that the collapse in housebuilding has devastating consequences.

“Repeated Scottish Government cuts to the affordable housing budget have made it ever more difficult for housing associations to deliver the safe, warm, affordable homes that everyone deserves as a basic human right.”

The Scottish Government however defended its record in housebuilding.

McLennan added: “We have a strong track record in supporting the delivery of affordable homes with more than 133,000 homes completed since 2007, including more than 94,000 social rented homes.

“We will continue to build on that record with a total investment of almost £600 million in affordable housing this year.

“We have boosted the Affordable Housing Supply budget by £80 million over the next two years to further increase the supply of social and affordable homes. Plus, we have committed an additional £2 million this year to councils with the greatest and sustained pressures on temporary accommodation to make use of existing housing stock.”