Enriching Lives through Outreach and Partnerships

In late 2023, Liverpool faced a refugee homelessness crisis due to a surge in asylum decisions. Many new refugees with a local connection to Liverpool urgently needed housing. The overwhelmed systems and property shortages prompted voluntary sector organisations like Refugee Women Connect and local partners to take on the frontline support for refugees facing homelessness. Together with the Our Liverpool team in Liverpool City Council, we addressed concerns about the high demand and shortcomings in procedures.

Collaborative meetings involving LCC, local voluntary sector organisations, law centres, Housing Options Liverpool, rough sleeping teams, DWP, and Serco have led to gradual improvements in how we work together and support new refugees during their move to Liverpool:  

• Housing assessments are now faster, thanks to increased frontline capacity.
• Local rough sleeping teams use sector insights to target outreach support effectively.
• Data sharing between LCC and voluntary organisations aids planning.

Local organisations are notified when Severe Weather Protocols are activated, preventing evictions during these times.

While there’s more work ahead to ensure a positive transition for new refugees in the region, this collaborative forum enables frontline organisations to use collective power to improve systems and outcomes.