A full-scale probe has been demanded after it emerged 160 homeless people have died in temporary accommodation in Glasgow.
The “heartbreaking” toll comes after council chiefs were accused of failing to safeguard the vulnerable following the deaths of homeless people in hostels.
Urgent action has now been called for to protect the rising number of people in Scotland awaiting a permanent home.
Labour MSP Monica Lennon said an in-depth inquiry is needed to uncover the scale and impact of homelessness. .
A Freedom of Information request by the record revealed that 160 people have died while registered as living in almost 70 different temporary premises, including hostels, hotels, bedsits and private flats across Glasgow since 2017.
The worst year for deaths in interim accommodation came in 2021, with 38 dying in a year.
The council refused to disclose the locations of these deaths, saying it may deter businesses from offering their accommodation to the homeless.
But our data shows 14 people died while listed as living at just one of these unnamed premises in the last four years.
Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP said: “These figures are nothing short of heartbreaking. We need action now to prevent any further loss of life.
“It is time to get to work building thousands more social homes across Scotland, offering new help to renovate loans to bring derelict homes back into use and strengthen our commitment to ending homelessness across Scotland.”
Lennon said the homeless were being “failed by the system every single day”.
She said: “A lack of access to a safe and permanent home is bad enough, but it should never become a death sentence.
“These tragic statistics are deeply worrying and there should be a deeper probe across Scotland to uncover the true scale and impact of homelessness in our communities.
“The Scottish Government must do everything possible to end homelessness, prevent avoidable deaths for those without a permanent home and detail how it will do this.”
In November, statistics published by National Records of Scotland showed an estimated 250 homeless deaths in Scotland in 2021 - up 52% in just four years.
Half of deaths (127) were due to drug-misuse, while suicide accounted for 9% and 7% were related to alcohol.
Just days later, the Record revealed that 23 people had died at three Glasgow hotels under scrutiny from social housing campaigners.
Nine people died at the Alexander Thomson Hotel, with seven passing away at the Rennie Mackintosh Station Hotel and another seven at the city’s Queens Park Hotel.
The deaths, many believed to be related to drug overdoses, happened after March 2020 and were blamed on the dumping of vulnerable people in unsuitable accommodation, with inadequate provision for mental health or drugs support.
Earlier this month, the city council admitted to breaching the Unsuitable Accommodation Order, brought in to stop councils putting people in digs deemed unfit for long term living, more than 2,000 times in a year - up around tenfold on previous figures.
Housing campaigner Sean Clerkin said many of the deaths were “avoidable and tragic” and vulnerable homeless people were being “badly failed in their hour of need by the authorities”.
Defending its decision not to release more information on the 160 deaths, Glasgow City Health and Social Care Partnership said it “would not wish to discourage external providers of accommodation in assisting the council in this matter”.
FOI figures also show that the overall number of Scots living in temporary accommodation in Glasgow rose by 4% to 6,206 in 2021.
The average length of stay for families with children in temporary accommodation is currently 423 days.
The council said it was focused on getting people into permanent homes as quickly as possible and staff were well trained in helping the vulnerable.
A spokeswoman: “We refute the suggestion that people we place in hotels are given no wrap around help or support. It’s simply not the case.
“It is regrettable that people die while residing in temporary accommodation however it is important to acknowledge that inadequate accommodation is not the cause of death.
“We have also ensured support is accessible through our Complex Needs Service, Mental Health and Third Sector partners who operate on an outreach basis across the city’s hotels.”
The Scottish Government said it is providing councils with £23.5 million for homelessness prevention this year, on top of £8million to help them reduce use of temporary accommodation.
A spokesman said: “Each one of these deaths is a tragedy. We know that experience of multiple forms of extreme disadvantage, including homelessness, poor mental health and opioid dependence, is linked to higher rates of ill health and premature death.
“We are doing all we can to address these disadvantages and prevent homelessness from happening in the first place.
“We’re also working to strengthen partnerships between health and homelessness services to improve outcomes for people experiencing homelessness and multiple complex needs, including substance use. This is part of our National Mission to reduce drug related deaths and improve lives, backed by £250 million investment over the life of the Parliament.”
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