Glasgow is grappling with a persistent housing emergency, with new figures due for release today, 21 September 2026, amid concerns that the situation is worsening. The city's health and social care partnership reports being "absolutely inundated" with demand for homelessness services.
In September 2025, Glasgow saw a record 4,332 households in temporary homeless accommodation, including 3,225 children. The number of open cases for people awaiting housing also reached a record high of 6,734 during the same period.
Ricky Bell, the new leader of Glasgow City Council, has called for the UK government to pause its asylum dispersal scheme, stating that the city lacks the infrastructure to cope with the increased volume of people seeking housing. He also suggested a rethink of the 2022 Scottish parliament decision to abandon the local connection rule for homelessness applicants.
Between April and September 2025, nearly half of Glasgow's homelessness applications were from individuals with refugee or leave to remain status. This follows attempts by the Home Office in 2023 to clear a backlog of asylum decisions, leading to more claimants being granted leave to remain and then presenting to local homelessness services.