Housing First delivers almost 250 tenancies for homeless people in Glasgow

Almost 250 homeless people have been provided with new secure tenancies from Glasgow’s housing associations and intensive support by the Housing First team.

Housing First is a rapid rehousing approach to tackling homelessness among people with complex needs such as mental health or addiction issues.

Cllr Mhairi Hunter, Glasgow City Council’s Convener for Health & Social Care, said: ‘Housing First is helping to truly transform the lives of homeless people in Glasgow. Secure tenancies and intensive support is being provided to assist some of the city’s most vulnerable people to rebuild their lives, sustain their tenancies and improve their physical and mental health.

‘The programme is offering people a chance to start afresh by providing a world of opportunities, such as learning new skills, improving their employment prospects and widening their social networks through volunteering to improve their lives long term. From this stable base, people can begin planning a brighter future.’

One of the new tenants is former bar worker, Fraser, who has experienced homelessness on and off since his teens.

He said: ‘It’s been brilliant since I moved into this flat, before I was in a temporary place. Now I have a sense of permanency. The flat’s mine, I can redecorate, I can plan for my future, I can get a job and look forward to things. Hopefully, one day, I can get a dog. The location is fantastic, I’m 15 minutes away from my friend in Drumchapel and 20 minutes away from my friend in North Knightswood. That gives me a sense of security. It’s awesome!’

Unemployment, depression and relationship breakdowns have seen the father-of-three become homeless several times, but with the help of his support worker, he now aims to tackle problems proactively to prevent them spiralling out of control.

He explained: ‘In the past, if something went wrong, I would stick my head in the sand until problems such as rent arrears mounted up. Then I’d become overwhelmed and just up and leave – walking away from the tenancy. In my mind, it was easier to walk away from everything than deal with the problem.

‘At one point, I slept in the woods for six months. I knew I could declare myself homeless and get into a hostel or temporary flat, but I didn’t want that, I just wanted the world to go away and leave me alone.

‘Now if I’m panicking about something, I can text my support worker. She is a brilliant woman and an absolutely essential part of my life at the moment. She’s helped me sort out my benefits, register with my GP and apply for a council tax rebate. She’s encouraged me to take part in things like volunteering.’

Photo supplied by Glasgow City Council