COP26: Activists occupy former Glasgow homeless shelter in Tradeston as part of climate protests

Activists have occupied a former homeless shelter in Glasgow’s Southside, where they hope to house climate campaigners who have forced to sleeping rough as a result of the COP26 accommodation shortage.

The former Hamish Allan Centre on Centre Street in Tradeston, which was once an asylum seekers’ night shelter, has been transformed and reopened.

The occupation, named ‘Baile Hoose’, is offering sleeping space and donated food to climate justice campaigners who have been unable to find proper accommodation for COP26.

A spokesperson for Baile Hoose said: “People need accommodation in Glasgow during the summit because there’s a bit of a crisis there, in terms of spaces for people that are safe and warm”.

There are people camping in the parks and on the streets at the moment. It’s been very cold – last night it was three degrees”.

"It’s not the kind of welcome we want to offer people in Glasgow, so we have accessed this space which is a former homeless unit and made that accessible to people if they need a place to stay”.

The COP26 Coalition is supporting Baile Hoose’s mission. A spokesperson for the coalition said: "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."

Activists have occupied the former Hamish Allan Centre and asylum seeker’s night shelter, a Glasgow City Council property in Tradeston.

The spokesperson for Baile Hoose told the Scotsman that they do not intend to continue the occupation after the end of the climate change summit, and said: “It’s not an ongoing inhabited squat”.

They continued: “The intention is we’ll clear out and re-secure the sight for the council”.

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