Preventing homelessness in Glasgow is one of the top priorities for local residents, according to the results of a new survey. 

Findings from the Glasgow Household Survey 2024 presented by Ipsos reveal that increasing the number of affordable homes, preventing homelessness and improving the condition and maintenance of existing homes were deemed important in the local area as well as Glasgow as a whole.

The results showed that 11 per cent of respondents said they personally had been homeless at some point, three per cent were seriously worried that they might become homeless in the future while 26 per cent of respondents said they knew someone who was, or had at some point been, homeless.

Studies show that the experience of homelessness is higher than average in single-parent households, those not in work, and those with a disability or health condition.

Alcohol or drug problems, poverty, mental or physical health issues, shortage of available housing, unemployment and lack of support for people leaving prison, hospital, the care system or the armed forces have been cited as the main reasons for people ending up homeless.

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Other contributing factors can include domestic and other types of abuse, lack of or poor quality services to help people with housing difficulty, young people forced to leave the family home and marital or relationship problems.

During Wednesday’s operational performance and scrutiny committee, questions were raised about homelessness trends.

Councillor Catherine Vallis said: “Are these questions that we have asked before? Have we got any trends in particular about people who have been homeless or are worried about being homeless and who knows someone who is or has been homeless?

“I think that is a really important trend to pick up on in terms of how we are filling our obligations as a council.”

A council officer said: “To confirm it has never been asked before but this is something that you would like to see built on.”