A surprising 23 homeless individuals died at three resorts after being despatched there to safeguard their wellbeing.
The loss of life toll in Glasgow has been blamed on the dumping of weak individuals in unsuitable lodging, with insufficient provision for or psychological well being or medicine assist.
A Freedom of Info request revealed that 9 individuals died on the Alexander Thomson Resort, with seven passing away on the Rennie Waterproof coat Station Resort and one other seven on the metropolis’s Queens Park Resort.
The 23 deaths occurred after March 2020, with most believed to be through the pandemic and associated to drug overdoses.
The most recent scandalous figures observe revelations yesterday that 250 homeless individuals died in Scotland in 2021 - up 52% in simply 4 years.
Housing campaigner Sean Clerkin stated there must be a public inquiry into how the lodge deaths had been allowed to occur.
He stated: “Weak homeless individuals had been dumped into these resorts with no assist infrastructure of wraparound providers for drug and alcohol dependancy and no assist for psychological well being.
“I've written to the First Minister calling on the Scottish Authorities for a Public Enquiry into these 23 avoidable tragic deaths as these weak homeless individuals had been badly failed of their hour of want by the authorities.”
Clerkin additionally stated the figures reveal that there must be a large enhance in public spending on dependancy providers and psychological well being care, allied to the constructing of extra social rented houses.”
Responding to Clerkin’s FOI request, Chief Inspector Natalie Carr, of Police Scotland, stated that Covid and the lockdown could have worsened the loss of life charge among the many homeless inhabitants.
She stated: “We all know that members of the homeless neighborhood usually have complicated and a number of wants and that these could have been exacerbated by the general public well being disaster and accompanying restrictions.
“It's a matter for the native authority the place homeless persons are accommodated and websites had been recognized to offer that lodging on a brief foundation all through the pandemic.”
On Tuesday this week, statistics revealed by Nationwide Information of Scotland (NRS) confirmed an estimated 250 homeless deaths in Scotland in 2021.
Half of deaths (127) had been because of drug-misuse, whereas suicide accounted for 9 per cent of deaths and 7 % had been associated to alcohol.
Solely two recorded deaths had been all the way down to Covid.
Scottish Housing Secretary Shona Robison described the figures, produced by as “heartbreaking studying”.
She added: “One focus of the nationwide mission on drug deaths is to strengthen partnerships between well being and homelessness providers to enhance outcomes for individuals experiencing homelessness and a number of complicated wants, together with substance use.”
Each the Rennie Waterproof coat and the Alexander Thomson resorts are owned by RMG Accommodations.
The Rennie Waterproof coat Resort, in Union Road, was described by one resident as “uninhabitable”, with blood stains on partitions and a mice infestation.
The Alexander Thomson, on Argyle Road, made a fortune from housing homeless individuals by way of the pandemic - however 9 died amid claims of individuals being caught in rooms with out assist.
The Queens Park Resort has additionally come beneath criticism for dingy, cramped rooms. Residents close by claimed it was run “like an open jail”.
Glasgow Metropolis Council denied individuals had been dumped in resorts. It stated: “We refute the suggestion that folks had been positioned in resorts with no wraparound assist.
“It's regrettable that folks die whereas residing in non permanent lodging nonetheless it is very important acknowledge that insufficient lodging is just not the reason for loss of life.
“We ensured assist is accessible by way of our complicated wants service, psychological well being and third sector companions.
“In the course of the pandemic, Naloxone coaching was supplied to employees throughout the resorts in addition to psychological well being and hurt discount consciousness coaching delivered by our well being and social employees.”
A spokesperson for the Rennie Waterproof coat stated: “We affirm the nice commonplace of the lodge is maintained by adhering to the assorted statutory necessities together with well being and security measures.”
Homeowners of the Alexander Thomson and Queens Park didn’t get again to us.
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