Drug crisis centre warns of closure over ‘aggressive’ rent hikes

Scotland’s only crisis centre for drug and alcohol addiction is warning that “lives could be put at risk” if it is forced to close due to a dispute over rental costs with its council-owned landlord.

Turning Point Scotland has run two drug and alcohol services in Glasgow on behalf of the city council for more than 30 years, including a 16-bed residential service to help stabilise the patients.

The charity said “aggressive” cost hikes by Glasgow City Property – including the doubling of the rent on the crisis centre – had left it “dangerously close” to having to shut down if the wrangle cannot be solved.

City Property said it could not discuss lease information due to commercial sensitivity but said it was in regular communication with Turning Point about viable solutions.

Turning Point Scotland is a social care provider, which also supports people navigating the criminal justice system and homelessness, in 19 local authorities across Scotland.

In Glasgow, it runs two drug and alcohol services, located almost side-by-side inside an old school building in the Tradeston area of the city.

One operates as a crisis centre and supports people through the most urgent and life-threatening circumstances, while the other provides a residential service.

They have received 3,650 referrals over the past three years, with demand rising in the past 12 months.

The charity said both are now under threat due to rising costs from City Property, an arm’s length organisation, wholly owned by the city council, that manages its property portfolio.