Concerns are rising over Scotland's ability to deal with the homeless as it has been revealed that the numbers forced to sleep rough in the nation's biggest city rose by over 50% during the winter.

A count conducted at the end of April, last year confirmed that rough sleeping numbers in Glasgow was still “in single figures”.

But it has emerged that the rate of homeless people who told the council that it was forced to sleep on the streets for at least one night before seeking assistance rose from an average of 56 a month in the five months from June 1 to November 1, last year to 82 per month between November 1 and February 1 this year.

There were 524 who told the council between June 1, last year and February 1 this year that they had either slept rough in the three months prior to seeking homelessness assistance.  Between June and November it was 292,

But there are fears the numbers could be even higher, as the city council figures rely on a self-declaration by people seeking homeless assistance.

The Scottish Tenants' Organisation, which has been tracking the levels of rough sleeping said that the rising numbers on the streets was "scandalous" and a "testament to the severity of the housing emergency facing Glasgow at this time".

It said that the Scottish Government must give the council extra emergency funding to allocate to homeless services so that all homeless people in the city and access decent and suitable accommodation "as anything else will be a betrayal of our vulnerable homeless citizens".

Housing campaigners are planning a series of disruptive 'direct action' protests taking in the First Minister's own offices over Scotland's heightening housing and homelessness emergency.

The STO has said it is engaging with other protest groups over direct action over the crisis unless steps are taken to reverse cuts.

The plan of action is understood to include staging protests inside and outside Humza Yousaf's offices in Govan.

The Herald: A homeless person on Buchanan Street in Glasgow

Also expected to be targeted is the Scottish Parliament and First Minister's Questions.

The demonstrations are drawing parallels to moves to occupy the Scottish Power headquarters and other high profile buildings across the UK in protest against rising energy bills and "sky-rocketing" levels of fuel poverty.

It comes after a key Scottish Government bid to help end a housing and homelessness crisis suffered a "scandalous" hit with its annual budget slashed by £360m over the past two years.

Concerns have emerged that the key Scottish Government pledge to deliver 110,000 social and affordable homes by 2032 has been delivered a "fatal blow" by the cuts.

The More Homes budget plans, which covers the Scottish Government's affordable housing supply programme is to take a cumulative hit of over half a billion pounds over two years - based against the 2022/23 allocation of £740.089m.

Worries about how the Scottish Government is tackling the housing crisis have emerged after what housing campaigners say is a "staggering" £188.8m (33%) cut to the budget in the past year alone with the spending plans for 2024/25 set at £375.8m.

The affordable homes plan set out by Nicola Sturgeon in a Programme for Government in 2021 to "build on our investment in housing" had already seen its budget cut by £175.5m in 2023/24 dropping by some 24% in a year.

The Herald: Nicola Sturgeon

This is set against the number of open homelessness applications in Scotland soaring by 30% since the pandemic began - from 22,754 in March, 2020, to 29,652 in 2022/23. The homeless household numbers being forced into temporary accommodation - like hotels and bed and breakfasts - rather than settled homes has shot up from 11,807 to 15,039.

Four local authorities have declared a housing emergency - Glasgow, Edinburgh, Argyll and Bute and most recently Fife.

Sean Clerkin, campaign co-ordinator of the STO said: "The horrifying number of rough sleepers in Glasgow reflect the current indifference and inaction by the authorities in helping our most vulnerable citizens.

Read more from Martin Williams on this issue:

"The housing and homelessness emergency in Glasgow and throughout Scotland has to be tackled immediately by the Scottish Government through reversing the cut to the Scottish housing budget and instead build thousands of social rented homes and bring back into circulation thousands of empty homes by retrofitting them. In addition vacant local authority buildings and empty office and shopping units should be converted into homes for homeless people."

Glasgow has cited "unprecedented pressures" after the Home Office planned to make around 2,500 batched asylum decisions in Glasgow by the end of this year, which the council would cost them more than £53m.

Scottish Labour say briefing notes from housing minister Paul McLennan’s meetings in December, admit that the delivery of 110,000 affordable homes by 2032 "is at risk” and say a review is being held into the “timeline for delivery”.

When launching the homes plan three years ago, the then First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said at least 70% of the 110,000 social and affordable homes to be built will be for social rent. She said in the Programme for Government: "We will build on our investment in housing over the previous session, to further improve the availability of good quality, affordable, energy efficient homes."

She said the Scottish Government would invest almost £3.5bn in this parliamentary session - which is due to end in 2026. In the first four years of the five-year session ministers have put a total of £2.428m into the More Homes budget.

The current First Minister Humza Yousaf in his first "unapologetically anti-poverty and pro-growth" Programme for Government in September remained "committed" to the 110,000 affordable homes delivery.

Housing minister Paul McLennan said:“We are absolutely determined to cut homelessness and improve the supply of social and affordable housing. Scotland has delivered more than 128,000 affordable homes since 2007, over 70% of which were for social rent. My officials and I meet regularly with local authorities on their housing plans.

“The Scottish Government is making record funding available to councils of more than £14 billion in 2024-25 – a real-terms increase of 4.3% compared with the previous year. This includes £30.5 million to local authorities to support their work to prevent homelessness, plus £90.5 million to spend on discretionary housing payments. We are also investing £100 million in the multi-year ending homelessness together fund.”

A Glasgow City Council spokesman said: “Like a number of other Scottish local authorities, we declared a Housing Emergency in Glasgow at the end of last year.  We will work with all of our partners in the housing and homelessness sectors to help tackle this crisis."