A vulnerable young woman "trying to sort herself out" has claimed the hostel she lives is "overrun with cockroaches" and "unlivable".
The 20-year-old, who has asked to remain anonymous, said she can't relax in her supported accommodation, in Toxteth , and has seen the large insects in her bed, the walls and toilet.
She said she lives with paranoid schizophrenia and her "mental health is bad" and the infestation, which she claims has been going on for a year, is having a negative impact on her.
She said: "It's disgusting and there's no getting away from it, it's all I can think about.
"When I was younger I used to bang my head against a wall, but I haven't done it in so long, but I've been doing that again and I have bruises on my head because I've been so upset."
The tenant said this is a result of her mental health deteriorating because of the said cockroaches.
She said she moved into The Powerhouse Liverpool, operated by Riverside, in September 2018 and claims she saw the cockroaches as soon as she moved in and took pictures of them burrowing.
Riverside said it has taken "immediate action with a regular programme which involved a pest contractor to carry out sweeps of the building".
The Powerhouse Liverpool, according to its website, provides a "temporary, supported accommodation for young people aged between 16 and 21."
Describing her life in the Toxteth hostel, she said: "I'm trying to sort myself out and these people aren't helping."
The 20-year-old said she has a single room, but is fearful about buying food in case cockroaches feast on products left out.
She said: “They’re in the walls and they come out in the sink, they come out everywhere. I’ve had one in my bed before and it’s disgusting.
“It feels like it’s getting worse now the wind is coming. I’ve said to them before ‘would you want your kids living here?’”
The 20-year-old said she complained to Riverside about the said infestation in September 2018, when she first moved in and claimed she was told pest control would come to fix the problem, but that has not happened yet.
She said: “I think the building is unlivable, they’re meant to be supporting us but they’re not fixing the problem. I just feel like it’s going to get worse.”
Sally Nicholson, Riverside’s Head of Operations - Care & Support, said: “We are sorry for the distress this problem is causing to our residents and we are determined to deal with it.
“We first became aware of the problem last year and immediately started a regular programme of pest control which ran until the end of March 2019 and eradicated the cockroaches.
“However we are aware that there have been further sightings of cockroaches recently. We have again taken immediate action with a regular programme which involves a pest contractor to carry out sweeps of the building.
“The Powerhouse provides temporary, supported accommodation for young people aged 16 to 21 with complex needs, each of whom has a kitchen in their self-contained flat.
"Our team carries out daily health and safety checks of rooms to clear unused food, as part of our daily welfare visits. We regularly advise our customers to clear away any food from the kitchen worktops which we believe will help prevent this problem reoccurring.”
