The SNP have been accused of fuelling Scotland’s housing emergency after new figures revealed an “astonishing” surge in homeless applications following controversial rule changes.
Stats obtained by the Scottish Conservatives via Freedom of Information laws show a 3,585 increase in homeless applications to Glasgow City Council from outside Scotland since Nationalist ministers abolished the local connection rule.
The Scottish Conservatives, who will publish a new housing policy paper today (Friday), are committed to reinstating the rule to help tackle the influx of illegal immigrants to the city.
Prior to 2022, Scottish local authorities would not house a homeless person unless they had a local connection to that area. Instead, they would refer the individual to another council where they did have a local connection. This could be an area where they had previously lived or worked, or where a family member lived or worked.
But this rule was ditched by the SNP in November 2022 – and the impact has been dramatic.
In 2022-23, just 35 individuals who had no local connection to any Scottish local authority made a homeless application to Glasgow City Council – 22 from outside Scotland and 13 from outside the UK.
But the following year, this increased to 1,290 – 356 from outside Scotland and 934 with no local connection to any council in the UK – a 3,585% jump.
The trend has continued since. In 2024-25 and 2025-26 to date, a further 2,089 applications have been made from individuals outside Scotland – 522 from elsewhere in the UK and 1,567 from outside the UK.
The vast majority (76%) of people taking advantage of the change in the rules are from outside Scotland.
Shadow housing secretary Meghan Gallacher said the SNP had made Glasgow a magnet for asylum seekers, putting an intolerable strain on local services.
Scottish Conservative shadow housing secretary Meghan Gallacher said: “These astonishing figures highlight the impact on Glasgow of the SNP’s open-door immigration policy.
“Their reckless decision to abolish the local connection rule has led to an influx of people from outside Scotland trying to access homelessness services – and the city’s Nationalist-run council has said it can’t cope.
“SNP ministers have made Glasgow a magnet for asylum seekers and the financial toll this is having on the city is enormous and unsustainable.
“The Scottish Conservatives’ housing paper includes a range of measures to address the housing emergency which SNP policies have created – and one of them is to reinstate the local connection restrictions that are in place in the rest of the UK.
“John Swinney must accept he got this badly wrong. His virtue-signalling policy has made the housing crisis far worse in our biggest city.”
Notes
Prior to 2022, local authorities would not house a homeless person unless they had a local connection to that local authority area. Instead, councils would refer the individual to a council where they did have a local connection. This could be an area where they had previously lived or worked, or where a family member lived or worked. (Scottish Government, 28 November 2022, link).
The Homeless Persons (Suspension of Referrals between Local Authorities) (Scotland) Order 2022 abolished this rule. Councils are now required to house anyone declaring themselves homeless, regardless of whether they had a local connection to the local authority area or not. (Scottish Government, 28 November 2022, link).
In England, councils only have to house a homeless person if they normally reside in that council area. The Local Authority Agreement defines normal residence as either six months' residence in the area during the past 12 months or three years residence during the previous five years. (Shelter England, Accessed 29 September 2025, link).
Glasgow saw a 3585%, increase in homelessness applications from outside of Scotland in 2023-24, the first full year after the rule was scrapped. In 2022-23, Just 35 individuals who had no local connection to any Scottish local authority made a homelessness application to Glasgow City Council, 22 from outside Scotland and 13 from outside the UK. But the following year, this increased to 1,290, 356 from outside of Scotland and 934 with no local connection to any council in the UK. (Scottish Conservative FOI, 10 November 2025, available on request).
In 2024-25 and 2025-26 to date, a further 2,089 applications have been made from individuals outside Scotland. 522 from elsewhere in the UK and 1,567 from outside the UK. (Scottish Conservative FOI, 10 November 2025, available on request).
The vast majority of people taking advantage of the change in the rules are from outside Scotland. Of the 4,449 applications made to Glasgow with no local connection since 2023-24, 76% were from outside Scotland. (Scottish Conservative FOI, 10 November 2025, available on request).