Glasgow City Council spent more than £100m in homeless fight
The figures provide a snapshot of the first full year after a housing emergency was declared by Glasgow City Council in November 2023.
14,000 people living in Glasgow said they were homeless last year. (Image: Andrew Milligan/PA Wire) Now, it has been revealed that a total of £106,416,979 was spent by the council in 2024 to keep up with the increased need for housing.
That is approximately 5.4% of the estimated £1.97b city budget in 2024/25.
Further figures revealed in The Herald on Saturday revealed that 8,383 people - including 3,154 children - were living in temporary accommodation as of June 9, 2025.
Additonally, 2,117 homeless people were living in a hotel or bed and breakfast (B&B).
During that time period, council officials spent £7,740,778 on housing the homeless in hotels and B&Bs.
However, the local authority turned away 753 people seeking accommodation between 1 May and 1 June, according to the figures, obtained by the Scottish Tenants' Organisation.
Leading homelessness charities have reacted to the findings with concern.
Gary Meek, CEO of housing association Blue Triangle, which operates four facilities in Glasgow, told The Herald:
'These figures reflect what we see every day — a housing system under immense pressure, and too many people in Glasgow stuck in temporary accommodation without a clear path forward.
Meek added: 'We're working closely with Glasgow City Council and other partners to expand supported housing and prevention services, but the scale of the crisis demands long-term investment and bold, joined-up action.
'Safe housing is a basic human right and we need to keep that at the heart of every decision.'
Similar figures were also recorded in other large Scottish local authorities over the last eighteen months.
South Lanarkshire Council spent £11,300,464 on securing temporary accommodation in 2024/25, while Falkirk Council paid out £3,169,412 during the same timeframe, and Perth and Kinross Council spent £1,863,906 between May 2024 and May 2025.
Similar sums were spent by Highland Council (£1,938,125.66 in 2024) and Renfrewshire Council (£913,377).
Aberdeen and City of Edinburgh Councils have yet to respond to requests for information.
Dealing with the housing crisis is a key challenge for the Scottish Government and new Housing Secretary Mairi McAllan.
New Housing Secretary Mairi McAllan (Image: Andrew Milligan/PA Wire) Gordon MacRae, Shelter Scotland Assistant Director Communications & Advocacy, has told The Herald the figures show the 'grim reality' of homelessness in Scotland's largest city.
He said: 'Shelter Scotland welcomes the council's decision to invest more in temporary accommodation rather than push more people onto the streets. But the sheer scale of this spending exposes the grim reality of Glasgow's housing emergency.
"With prevention services being cut, more people are being forced into the homelessness system. Glasgow City Council faces an impossible task without serious support from both the Scottish and UK governments.
"This is a massive amount of taxpayers' money - money that would be far better spent on social homes that offer safety, security, and affordability, giving people the opportunity to thrive.
Mr McRae went on to say that 'bold and radical action was needed,' adding: 'More investment from the Scottish Government in social housing, the purchase of larger homes for larger families, and stronger backing from the UK Government must all be part of the plan.
'Doing more is harder than doing less. Scotland's housing system is broken and biased. It didn't happen overnight, and there are no quick fixes, it is a direct consequence of political choices and repeated budget cuts. Politicians of all stripes need to step up and choose to end the housing emergency.'
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A spokesperson for Glasgow City Council said: 'We're duty bound to find and provide accommodation to those affected by homelessness. Unfortunately, in Glasgow, there is an ever-increasing demand for homeless accommodation. This increase in demand brings with it an increase in costs to the council.
'There is no quick alternative. We are in continual dialogue with both Governments about these challenges and to seek the additional resources necessary to address the challenges we are facing.
'We continue to work with a range of partners to expand our emergency accommodation, and which will provide an alternative to bed and breakfast type accommodation.'
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