Homeless mum and daughter fall ill after losing house and sleeping at bus stops

02 September 2023 , 15:34

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Jeanette Tagoe from Toxteth has been homeless since January (Image: Liverpool Echo)

A mum and daughter have both fell ill after being forced to find shelter in bus stops due to losing their home.

Jeanette Tagoe and her 20-year-old daughter, Kayla, have been left living on the streets after losing their house to the cost of living crisis. The mum said that she has been couch surfing, sleeping rough, and begging for food while being on the streets for eight months and "does not know how much longer she can go on".

The family members have both suffered from chest infections, with Jeanette also suffering from depression and Raynaud's disease, after having to become homeless due to "sky high" rent.

Jeanette told the Liverpool Echo: "I had to leave my home as the rent was sky high. There were rats there and everything. I have been living on the streets with my daughter and she is 20 years old, it has been so hard on her. It has been appalling, we have both had chest infections, and I have not been able to eat, or sleep. We have been sleeping at bus stops or anywhere to get away from the rain."

Jeanette, who had to leave her home in Toxteth, Liverpool, said: "I have sofa surfed but people can't help all the time and I'm not a healthy woman. My mental health is going through the roof and there are days when I don't eat.

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"My daughter has panic attacks and anxiety, she has lost so much weight. We are both so depressed with it all... We are vulnerable women on the street, it is scary."

She said she has tried to secure another property through Liverpool City Council's Housing Options Service. However, claims she has been ignored by the service. Jeanette said: "They have said I'm not a priority because my daughter is over 18 and I have been constantly ignored... I'm getting pushed from pillar to post and we are two vulnerable women. There just seems to be nobody who is willing to help us."

A Liverpool City Council spokesperson said: “We can’t go into specific details of individual cases for reasons of confidentiality. However, we can confirm that we have been in frequent contact with Ms Tagoe to offer advice, support, and guidance to assist her to secure new accommodation, and will continue to do so.”

Gemma Jones