Demand for Glasgow Homelessness Shelter Doubles

That the Parliament understands that demand for the winter homelessness shelter that is run by Glasgow City Mission has doubled in the last year; considers this service essential and understands that it has been visited almost 3,000 times in the last three months, compared with 1,500 visits in 2015, with the number of people using the service rising from 407 in 2015 to 474 since 1 December 2015; recognises what it sees as the hard work of the staff and volunteers in providing the service users with a safe and warm place to sleep, breakfast and advice on support services; understands that the city mission has teamed up with the Rangers Charity Foundation to raise £70,000, which will enable the service to stay open another month and provide help for even more homeless and vulnerable people over the next year, and urges that more is done to tackle what it believes is a drastic rise in homelessness.