Domestic Abuse Is A Major Cause Of Homelessness In Liverpool

A quarter of the homeless people in Liverpool have nowhere to live because they are victims of domestic abuse, according to a local charity.

Jacqui Nasuh, founder of the Merseyside Domestic Violence Service, told the Liverpool Echo: “On average a women will be abused 38 times before they report domestic violence. The biggest problem with women not reporting domestic abuse is that they are afraid that they will have their children taken away.”

Another common feature of domestic abuse is the aggressor tries to control the victim, which means that it often goes unreported. “All the men have told us that if they had somewhere to go when things flare up they would leave the house,” said Jacqui. “Instead of having just female shelters we need to have places that men can go so we can keep families in their homes as much as possible.”

The problem of homelessness is getting worse, with 25% more people needing housing in 2015-16 compared to 2010-11, the majority of whom are women.

According to a review of homelessness carried out by Liverpool city council, 12,000 domestic abuse-related calls are made each year and the numbers are rising. Domestic abuse is six times the national average in North Liverpool and around double the national average in South Liverpool. More than 80% of people made homeless by domestic violence were women. Some are supported to stay in their home if the abuser has been arrested or does not live with them.

Councillor Frank Hont was critical of the coverage of rough sleeping which he claimed does not represent the majority of homeless people. In 2015-16, the housing options team was contacted 7,000 times, yet there are only 74 recorded rough sleepers in Liverpool. “When most people think of homelessness they think of rough sleepers because this is the visible end”, he said. “In really difficult times we’re still spending £10m on homelessness out of a tight budget because it’s such an important issue.”

Each year £3.1bn of public money is spent on services for domestic abuse such as the criminal justice system, social services, health, housing and legal aid.