Glasgow activists ‘re-open’ disused building to house Cop26 visitors
Activists in Glasgow have “re-opened” a disused building to house climate justice campaigners visiting the city for the Cop26 summit, as those forced to camp because of lack of affordable accommodation face plummeting temperatures.
The Glasgow city council property in Tradeston, a former homeless services unit, has been restored to habitability over the past few days by a group of local activists frustrated at reports of visitors forced to sleep rough.
In a statement, the Glasgow-based activists behind Baile Hoose – as they have named the enterprise – said the building now “offers sleeping space and donated food as colder weather descends on the encampments springing up in Glasgow’s parks … we are aware of activists, including Indigenous elders, who have been sleeping outside due to a lack of available shelter”.
Calling on the first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, who is the MSP for Glasgow Southside, to support their action, they went on: “Given the current housing crisis in the UK, buildings should not be left empty while people in our communities are sleeping on the streets due to unaffordable, exploitative rent and opportunistic Airbnb hosts.”
The Cop26 Coalition welcomed the occupation, explaining: “Yesterday a group of indigenous people approached us asking for blankets. I asked them why they needed them and they said that it was because it is very cold at night, as they were planning on sleeping outside.
“We have been struggling with accommodation for people arriving in Glasgow, as they’re coming in great numbers and hundreds are being left with nowhere to stay, which is even more worrying as the temperature drops.”
Ginger, an activist from Bristol who is staying there after struggling to find a bed elsewhere, said: “There was a massive lack of affordable accommodation in Glasgow, and we don’t get funded to stay here. Also, it’s very helpful to be able to stay with people who are here for similar reasons.”
“The message of Cop is all about the power and responsibility of the world leaders. I think they keep on misusing that power, so this is a way of reclaiming space and doing things differently ourselves.”
At previous summits, local governments have worked with activists to provide hostel-style accommodation for those who could not afford expensive hotel rooms, converting gym halls and community centres into bunkhouses. Scottish Green councillor Christy Mearns has pressed Glasgow city council to act more creatively, while recognising that Covid-19 restrictions added an extra layer of difficulty this year.
Mearns said: “The council should have done more to foresee these problems with accommodation, particularly for people from more marginalised communities whose voices should be heard at the summit. I support the grassroots efforts of people coming together to work around this.”
A Glasgow city council spokesperson said: “The former Hamish Allan Centre has been closed for years and the building is not safe for human habitation. There are concerns about fire safety and possible asbestos.
“It was shut down, as it did not provide acceptable accommodation at that time and the residents moved to more appropriate properties. The council did not provide access to the building and it’s concerning that people have moved in.”