A report has revealed that 23 homeless people died at a trio of Glasgow hotels after they were sent there to ensure their safety.
The deaths have been blamed on the dumping of the vulnerable at inadequate accommodation with low quality facilities and a lack of mental health support or drug addiction support.
A Freedom of Information request uncovered that 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, writes the Daily Record.
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Each of the deaths happened after March 2020, with most thought to have occurred during the pandemic and related to drug overdoses.
The latest figures come after it was revealed that 250 homeless people died in Scotland in 2021 - up 52 per cent in just four years.
Sean Clerkin, a housing campaigner is calling for a public inquiry into how the deaths in the hotels were allowed to happen.
He said: “Vulnerable homeless people were dumped into these hotels with no support infrastructure of wraparound services for drug and alcohol addiction and no support for mental health.
“I have written to the First Minister calling on the Scottish Government for a Public Enquiry into these 23 avoidable tragic deaths as these vulnerable homeless people were badly failed in their hour of need by the authorities.”
The campaigner believes the new figures show that there needs to be a huge increase in spending on addiction services and mental health care, allied to the building of more social rented homes.
Responding to Clerkin’s FOI request, Chief Inspector Natalie Carr, of Police Scotland, said that Covid and the lockdown may have worsened the death rate among the homeless population.
She said: “We know that members of the homeless community often have complex and multiple needs and that these may have been exacerbated by the public health crisis and accompanying restrictions.
“It is a matter for the local authority where homeless people are accommodated and sites were identified to provide that accommodation on a temporary basis throughout the pandemic.”
On Tuesday this week, statistics published by National Records of Scotland (NRS) showed an estimated 250 homeless deaths in Scotland in 2021.
Half of deaths (127) were due to drug-misuse, while suicide accounted for nine per cent of deaths and seven percent were related to alcohol.
There were only two recorded deaths due to Covid.
Scottish Housing Secretary Shona Robison described the figures, produced by as “heartbreaking reading”.
She added: “One focus of the national mission on drug deaths is to strengthen partnerships between health and homelessness services to improve outcomes for people experiencing homelessness and multiple complex needs, including substance use.”
Both the Rennie Mackintosh and the Alexander Thomson hotels are owned by RMG Hotels.
The Rennie Mackintosh Hotel, in Union Street, was described by one resident as “uninhabitable”, with blood stains on walls and a mice infestation.
The Alexander Thomson, on Argyle Street, made a fortune from housing homeless people through the pandemic - but nine died amid claims of people being stuck in rooms without support.
The Queens Park Hotel has also come under criticism for dingy, cramped rooms. Residents nearby claimed it was run “like an open prison”.
Glasgow City Council denied people were dumped in hotels. It said: “We refute the suggestion that people were placed in hotels with no wraparound support.
“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 ensured support is accessible through our complex needs service, mental health and third sector partners.
“During the pandemic, Naloxone training was provided to staff within the hotels as well as mental health and harm reduction awareness training delivered by our health and social staff.”
A spokesperson for the Rennie Mackintosh said: “We confirm the good standard of the hotel is maintained by adhering to the various statutory requirements including health and safety measures.”
Owners of the Alexander Thomson and Queens Park didn’t respond to the Daily Record.
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