Lack of housing leads to concerns over safeguarding

THE "housing crisis" in Northumberland is forcing people in emotionally abusive relationships to stay with their partners rather than face homelessness, a councillor has warned.

- JAMES ROBINSON

Coun Georgina Hill, who chairs Northumberland County Council's health and wellbeing scrutiny committee, said she was dealing with such cases in her ward.

There were around 12,000 people on the council's housing list at the end of 2025, although the Conservative-led administration at County Hall has plans to remove more than half of those people who are in lower priority banding in order to focus more on those in greater need.

However, Coun Hill said there was simply "not enough" housing in the county.

She said: "All roads lead to the housing crisis that we are in. I just fear that, because of the failures of successive Governments, and because there isn't enough housing and because it's so difficult we can find money for a problem but we can't magic more houses suddenly.

"From a safeguarding point of view, one of the examples that comes up was if you had somebody fleeing domestic abuse and they had been physically attacked, I feel that the opportunities and resources are there and they can get temporary accommodation.