Glasgow has one of the highest totals of deaths among homeless people according to research by campaigners.

According to the Dying Homeless Project, there were 51 deaths among people who had no home of their own in the city last year.

The research carried out by Museum of Homelessness shows the people are among 206 in Scotland and at least 1474 across the UK.

In the last three years, the project has revealed 178 people who died in Glasgow while homeless, either rough sleeping or in emergency or temporary accommodation.

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The campaigners said there is an increase in rough sleeping across the country, and a rise in deaths.

The group analysed Freedom of Information requests from councils, inquests and media reports to establish a picture of people dying while waiting to get a permanent home.

Most big UK cities feature in the research.

Edinburgh had 41 deaths, Cardiff 35, Belfast, 49 and London 310.

Others include Liverpool 20, Birmingham 5, Bristol 37, Manchester 18, Brighton 36 and Hull 19.

The campaigners said there is an emergency on the streets.

Co-director Matt Turtle said “People are dying on the street at terrifying rates. “The only way to tackle this emergency is with an increase in support for off the streets accommodation, like winter shelters.
“The systems of care for people living with poverty and homelessness are in tatters after 15 years of cuts. Our analysis indicates things are set to get much grimmer, unless the government acts now to save lives.”

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Glasgow City Council said it is working to tackle homelessness and its causes.

A spokesperson for Glasgow’s Health and Social Care Partnership said: “Every homeless death is a tragedy, and our thoughts are with those families and friends who have lost loved ones.

“We know that many complex and overlapping factors contribute to deaths amongst those experiencing issues around homelessness and we are committed to working with all partners to help provide solutions to homelessness and address the root causes of it.

“We have also ensured support is accessible through our Complex Needs Service, Mental Health and Third Sector partners who operate on an outreach basis across the city’s hotels.

“Naloxone training has been provided to staff within the hotels as well as mental health and harm reduction awareness training delivered by our health and social staff.

“Service users residing in hotels are routinely assessed for eligibility for Housing First as well as other types of accommodation and we remain focused on moving people to more settled accommodation.”

In Glasgow, campaigners called for better provision of services for homeless people.

Sean Clerkin, campaign coordinator of the Scottish Tenants Organisation, said: “It is shameful that 178 homeless people have died on the streets of Glasgow or in substandard temporary accommodation over the past three years.

“We are approaching another cold winter in Glasgow and yet we find Glasgow City Council hellbent on closing down the Homeless Project Scotland shelter in where they give shelter to 30 people each night.

“These 178 homeless deaths in Glasgow are a stark reminder that we need more and better provision for homeless people in Glasgow this winter.”

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Glasgow City Council has served an enforcement notice on the charity because it has not applied for planning permission to use the premises for a night shelter.

It said there had been “multiple crime reports and complaints” relating to the premises.

The charity has said it is appealing the decision.