Three abandoned Glasgow tenements to undergo major repairs

Three abandoned Glasgow tenement buildings with 23 boarded-up flats are to undergo major repairs amid concerns that they have been left empty.

The Possilpark buildings in Stonyhurst Street – owned by housing association NG Homes – have been vacant for more than 20 years, it is understood.

The council said grant funding has been made available to carry out comprehensive work as there are concerns over the properties going to waste amid the city’s housing crisis.

Housing convenor Ruairi Kelly, SNP, said: “With funding from the Scottish Government for acquisitions we will be supporting NG Homes with up to £2.7m to bring 23 flats in these traditional tenement buildings back into use.

“Not only will this provide much-needed housing in the area, but it will also address the dereliction that has blighted this stretch of street for years.”

Reform councillor Audrey Dempsey blasted it as “unacceptable” for homes to be falling into disrepair while local councillor Robert Mooney said the condition of the buildings has been a worry.

Canal Councillor Mooney, Labour, added: “The buildings have been a concern for some time. I believe MSP Paul Sweeney has been lobbying to try and get funding to save it.”

Councillor Dempsey, who had been campaigning in the area as part of a Holyrood election bid, said: “In the middle of a housing crisis, it is simply unacceptable that buildings, homes and properties capable of being lived in are sitting empty and falling into disrepair.

“At a time when we are spending close to £55m of taxpayers’ money every ten months on temporary accommodation like hotels and B&Bs, this approach is not just inefficient, it is unsustainable.

“Responsibility does not sit with councils alone. Every housing association and social landlord has a duty to ensure their properties are brought up to standard and used to house people in need.”

Canal Councillor Fiona Higgins, Labour, said: “I’m pleased to see money being invested in these buildings so they can be brought back into use. We need to bring all buildings back into use to meet the housing needs of the city.”

A council spokesman said: “The three tenement buildings in 106, 110 and 116 Stonyhurst Street (all in NG Homes ownership – 23 flats) are to be the subject of comprehensive repairs. Grant funding has been made available by our Housing team and works are due to commence on site shortly.”

NG Homes had put out a contract to tender for the repairs in order to bring the homes back into use.

NG Homes said they were not in a position to comment.