AID for Glasgow’s homeless has hit crisis point as a result of swingeing cuts to services and increasing demand during the colder weather.

Members of the Unison union who work with homeless people revealed yesterday that government cuts to Glasgow City Council funding has left the city with only one overnight shelter — which accommodated more than 500 stays in December — with the council regularly failing to meet its statutory obligation to assist those in need.

Unison has warned that more pressure is being put on charities to pick up the slack from a lack of funding. The Glasgow Winter Night Shelter — run by Christian charity Glasgow City Mission — had up to 40 people bedding down every night and, because of demand, organisers have decided to extend its opening by another four weeks until the end of March.

Meanwhile, Glasgow council has tried to cut costs by again putting their housing support service contracts out to tender and cutting the number of providers from five to three.

A Unison Glasgow Branch spokesman accused the council of “continuing down the road of austerity” which would likely lead to a reduction in quality of service provided to homeless people.

He added that further cuts coupled with a reduction in homelessness staff within the local authority and a depleted social housing stock meant that “housing support staff face an already difficult task becoming impossible.”

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