Fed-up residents hit out at 'hellish' council house bidding system

Fiona Paton led a protest outside East Renfrewshire Council’s (ERC) Barrhead offices against the online system which allows applicants to bid for available homes open to them based on their assessed priority level and house size eligibility.

The 45-year-old, who has mobility issues and lives with her husband Daniel, 43, and son Jack, 10, in a top floor flat, has been seeking a move to a two-bedroom ground floor flat in Barrhead as a level B applicant, the second highest priority level, for nearly five years.

Fiona Paton (Image: Newsquest) Fiona told the Glasgow Times: “I need to get out of here.

“I’m up four flights of stairs and even carrying shopping upstairs is an absolute nightmare.

“I don’t want to go out because I know I have to walk back up those stairs.

“There are days when I’m walking with a stick because my whole left side is absolutely killing me and it’s very weak.”

The group held a protest outside the council offices on Barrhead Main Street (Image: Newsquest) The Barrhead mum says she has decided to take a stand after becoming “sick and tired” of the situation as her health deteriorates.

Councillors declared a local housing emergency in East Renfrewshire in September due to unprecedented demand on their homelessness service and in order to meet this demand increased the target of available homes offered to homeless households to 70%.

Since 2018, homeless applications “have jumped by 53%, in comparison to just a 10% increase Scotland-wide” and there are currently more than 370 homeless households waiting for accommodation.

The overall demand for social housing has also increased significantly over the past five years and there are currently more than 6,000 applicants on the general waiting list.

The council offices on Barrhead Main Street (Image: Newsquest) "ERC are saying their hands are tied with the legislation of the Scottish Government as anyone can put in for a house with ERC and 70% of their stock must go to homelessness first," she added.

“We are not getting anywhere. Constantly the bidding is going on and it’s constantly for homelessness. There is nothing for those in (priority groups) B, C, D and E.

“There are people who are born and bred in this town, who have lived in it their whole life and can’t get another house because they are going to any Tom, Dick or Harry from out with the area.

“I’ve had enough, the way the houses are getting allocated is just ridiculous. People are coming in and getting a house straight away and we are left. It’s sickening."

Fiona was offered a flat in Neilston last year, which she says she bid on out of desperation but did not take as it was not in Barrhead and would have meant moving her son to a new school. 

“I feel as if nobody is listening to us," she said. 

"Barrhead Housing Association need to get their finger out as well and they both need to stop blaming the Scottish Government and do something about it."

Also present at the protest on October 29 was fellow Barrhead resident Karen Graham, who lives with her 16-year-old registered disabled grandson, in a back and front door cottage-type house.

Karen Baird and Karen Graham 

The 59-year-old has been on the housing list for more than a year and is seeking a smaller house without stairs and with a garden of some sort to house a hut for her mobility scooter.

She said: "They offered me one house in Glasgow Road but I ended up not taking it as it wasn’t suitable. I want out of the bottom scheme.

“You are on a bidding system and it's hellish. They keep saying nothing’s coming up and when they do come up you put in for them which I have done in the past and never heard a thing."

“I’m in a big five apartment and it’s just far too big for me," she added.

"My health is not getting any better, I can't walk very far and the occupational therapist has got me things in the house to help me, but I’ve still got to go upstairs to my bed at night. I need a downstairs house.

“Years ago when you saw a house you liked and you put in for it, you got the opportunity to get it. Nowadays no. There are no houses for the likes of us.

“I wish they would find a better way to do this, so the right people are getting the right properties that they are looking for.”

An East Renfrewshire spokesperson said: "In 2023/24, 22% of the Council’s total housing lets were allocated to households with an identified medical need.  

"Whilst 70% of all available properties are allocated to Priority A, which includes homeless households, all properties are assessed to ensure best use.

"If a property has specific adaptations that will meet the needs of an urgent medical application, where possible, it will be allocated to an applicant in priority B.

"Our allocation policy is in line with the requirements set out in law.

"Scottish Government legislation outlines that local authorities’ must give reasonable preference to specific groups, including people who are homeless or threatened with homelessness, those living in unsatisfactory housing conditions, and social housing tenants under-occupying their current home.

"The law also prohibits the council from refusing an application for housing from a non-East Renfrewshire resident."

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “Local connection requirements have long been recognised as a barrier to accessing homelessness services which is why we removed them, allowing people to access support, take advantage of job opportunities or simply to have a fresh start.

"Data indicates that this change in legislation has not had a notable impact on the number of homeless applications.

"In 2024-25, we are providing £42 million for local authorities with the most sustained temporary accommodation pressures.”

Barrhead Housing’s chief executive Lorna Wilson said their allocations policy had been revised recently to ensure applicants with health needs not only received more priority, but were given additional support to move home.

“Unfortunately,” she added “the sad facts are that the supply of suitable properties for those with mobility needs and the turnover of homes generally are both extremely low. 

“Furthermore, adaptations funding has been cut by nearly 80% over the past two years, making it even more difficult to rehouse people or make their homes more suitable.”

Lorna said the overwhelming majority of Barrhead Housing homes were let to people with an East Renfrewshire address.

“We are committed to playing our part in ending the local and national homelessness crisis,” she said.

“This includes letting 50% of available homes to homeless applicants.”