Glasgow’s homelessness budget strained as asylum-seeker influx tests council finances

Glasgow’s homelessness budget is being stretched by a sharp increase in asylum-seeker applications for council housing, a trend linked to the SNP’s 2022 removal of the local-connection requirement. Reform UK Scotland leaders, including Lord Offord and Thomas Kerr, argue that the policy has turned the city into a “magnet” for asylum seekers, diverting resources from local Scots. An audit released by the Accounts Commission warns that homelessness costs could climb from £38 million in 2025-26 to £56 million in 2026-27, threatening the council’s financial viability.

Glasgow City Council handled over 2,000 applications from outside Scotland last year, while the party also alleges Edinburgh has frozen housing for Scottish homeless. First Minister John Swinney rejected the accusations as misinformation and called for unity. Scottish Conservative Alexander Burnett echoed concerns, citing the policy change as a key factor in the fiscal strain.