Latest news with #SimonCommunity
Glasgow Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Glasgow Times
More than 450 Glasgow homeless refused hotel room in a month
Between April 1 and May 1, on 456 occasions, people were turned away when they said they needed somewhere to stay that night. The council said it happens when there are no spaces available, and it is seeking extra resources to deal with the housing emergency. READ NEXT:Glasgow's drug consumption centre is working says health secretary Figures also show almost 100 people have been found rough sleeping this year. The housing emergency has led to huge demand for homeless accommodation and the latest count saw 1972 people in hotels and B&Bs in the city. Of those, 1417 were people with refugee status having been granted leave to remain in the UK. There were 314 women also living in the hotels and B&Bs and 71 families. The number of people who reported sleeping rough before they made their homelessness application in the first five months of the year was 433. The Simon Community, which conducts counts of rough sleepers, said it found 97 people sleeping rough. The Glasgow Times has been running the End the Homeless Hotel Shame campaign, highlighting the conditions people are subject in some of the 40 hotels used by the council. The latest FOI revealed the hotel owners were paid £4.1m in the month of April alone. The figures were revealed to the Scottish Tenants Organisation by Glasgow City Council under Freedom of Information. READ NEXT:'Don't blame us': Taxis hit back in Glasgow city centre transport row Sean Clerkin, campaign co-ordinator, said: 'The very high numbers of those sleeping rough on the streets of Glasgow is testament to the housing and homeless emergency that has engulfed the city of Glasgow. "Even more alarming is the fact that Glasgow City Council has illegally refused accommodation to over 450 people in only four weeks recently is completely unacceptable. 'The rising costs of homelessness for the Council in paying over £4m to private hotel operators in one month recently if projected for 12 months will mean paying out nearly £50 million over the next year. This is also unacceptable. 'The Scottish Government has to give Glasgow City Council much more money to build tens of thousands of social rented homes to eradicate homelessness as the current budget for 2025/26 at just over £115 million is lower than the affordable housing budget for Glasgow in 2021/22. 'In addition, the British Government has to give Glasgow additional monies to properly house refugees in the city. 'We need action now not more words that mean nothing. A spokesperson for Glasgow City Council said: 'We're duty bound to find and provide emergency accommodation to those affected by homelessness. Unfortunately, the increasing demand for homeless accommodation in Glasgow means there are times when we haven't been able to do so. 'This happens when there is no accommodation available despite operating in more than 40 hotels across the city to accommodate those who we have a confirmed duty for. '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 emergency accommodation that will provide an alternative to bed and breakfast type accommodation.'
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
We feel isolated since our homeless library lost its home
A couple who credit a homeless library in Edinburgh with helping turn their lives around say they feel isolated after it closed overnight. Michelle Kwiatek and Colin MacMillan said the Streetreads Library was a refuge when they spent more than five years living on the streets and in hostels. Managers of the service have been looking for a new home since January when the lease on a premises at a Methodist Church in Nicholson Square was not renewed. The church's minister, the Reverend James Patron Bell, said they made the decision amid concerns about the safety of tenants, visitors and staff. Michelle, 45, told BBC Scotland News the library gave her and her partner something "normal" to do every day. "I've read lots of books while being homeless but it wasn't just about the books," she said. "It gave us a community of like-minded people who were trying to change their lives and make a difference, who just wanted to come together and drink tea or take part in making things and that's what was important. "Now we are isolated and on our own just constantly asking if they have found a new home for the library, it's not good and it's not the same." The library was operated by homeless charity Simon Community Scotland and funded solely through donations and fundraising. 'We've been living in fear of eviction for four years' 'I was homeless - now I show tourists my city's hidden side' Its 250 users could spend as much time in there as they wanted, without having to spend money or even read a book. Some said they didn't want to use council-run libraries because they felt they stood out as homeless. Colin, who stopped taking heroin and crack cocaine four years ago, said the library offered a unique service. The 41-year-old said: "When we were at the library it was really helping us stay off the drugs. "It was really helping us keep on the straight and narrow." The library was founded by Rachel Cowan in 2021, after she offered to buy a sandwich for a homeless person - they told her they would rather have a book. With the help of Streetwork, a department of Simon Community Scotland, she opened the library in the basement of City of Edinburgh Methodist Church. The church's minister said they wished Streetreads "success in their future endeavours". "We regret that we could not renew the lease for Streetreads due to ongoing concerns around the suitability of the location for their work, which were not resolved despite years of discussions," Mr Patron Bell added. "This included the safety of our tenants, visitors and staff which is and always will be our priority." Fiona Williamson, head of service for Simon Community Scotland in Edinburgh, said up to 100 people sleep rough on the city's streets each night. She added: "The library is so important because we asked groups of homeless people in areas in the city why they were congregating and they said for community and connection and we thought yes that's what we are all looking for in our lives. "And we thought it really is that simple and so it became much more than a library." Ricky Kerr, service lead for Streetreads, said it would cost more than double to rent new premises, which they planned to reach through fundraising. He said some people visited the library six days a week and they have been left at a loss as to how to spend their days. "The library was a beautiful, welcoming and calm place for people who were experiencing or were at risk of homelessness to come and access not only a wide variety of support but also to feel accepted," he added. Michelle said the library offered refuge. "When I was reading my book during the day some people seemed to think just because you're sitting on the street they were entitled to give you abuse and that's hard because you are already at your lowest. "The library gave us a safe space where we could get away from that."
BBC News
18-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
We feel isolated since our homeless library lost its home
A couple who credit a homeless library in Edinburgh with helping turn their lives around say they feel isolated after it closed Kwiatek and Colin MacMillan said the Streetreads Library was a refuge when they spent more than five years living on the streets and in of the service have been looking for a new home since January when the lease on a premises at a Methodist Church in Nicholson Square was not renewed. The church's minister, the Reverend James Patron Bell, said they made the decision amid concerns about the safety of tenants, visitors and staff. Michelle, 45, told BBC Scotland News the library gave her and her partner something "normal" to do every day. "I've read lots of books while being homeless but it wasn't just about the books," she said. "It gave us a community of like-minded people who were trying to change their lives and make a difference, who just wanted to come together and drink tea or take part in making things and that's what was important."Now we are isolated and on our own just constantly asking if they have found a new home for the library, it's not good and it's not the same."The library was operated by homeless charity Simon Community Scotland and funded solely through donations and fundraising. Its 250 users could spend as much time in there as they wanted, without having to spend money or even read a book. Some said they didn't want to use council-run libraries because they felt they stood out as homeless. Colin, who stopped taking heroin and crack cocaine four years ago, said the library offered a unique 41-year-old said: "When we were at the library it was really helping us stay off the drugs."It was really helping us keep on the straight and narrow." The library was founded by Rachel Cowan in 2021, after she offered to buy a sandwich for a homeless person - they told her they would rather have a book. With the help of Streetwork, a department of Simon Community Scotland, she opened the library in the basement of City of Edinburgh Methodist church's minister said they wished Streetreads "success in their future endeavours". "We regret that we could not renew the lease for Streetreads due to ongoing concerns around the suitability of the location for their work, which were not resolved despite years of discussions," Mr Patron Bell added."This included the safety of our tenants, visitors and staff which is and always will be our priority." Fiona Williamson, head of service for Simon Community Scotland in Edinburgh, said up to 100 people sleep rough on the city's streets each added: "The library is so important because we asked groups of homeless people in areas in the city why they were congregating and they said for community and connection and we thought yes that's what we are all looking for in our lives."And we thought it really is that simple and so it became much more than a library."Ricky Kerr, service lead for Streetreads, said it would cost more than double to rent new premises, which they planned to reach through said some people visited the library six days a week and they have been left at a loss as to how to spend their days. "The library was a beautiful, welcoming and calm place for people who were experiencing or were at risk of homelessness to come and access not only a wide variety of support but also to feel accepted," he said the library offered refuge."When I was reading my book during the day some people seemed to think just because you're sitting on the street they were entitled to give you abuse and that's hard because you are already at your lowest."The library gave us a safe space where we could get away from that."
