By Richard Whitehouse/LDR

A senior director at Cornwall Council has admitted that the authority is "failing" to provide enough temporary accommodation to people who have found themselves homeless.

The current housing crisis in Cornwall has seen more and more people unable to find suitable, affordable accommodation and so are turning to the council for help.

Councillors were told that the number of households in Cornwall in temporary accommodation had risen from 250 before the pandemic to a current level of more than 700. Some were concerned that it might be out of control.

Phil Mason, strategic director for sustainable growth and development at County Hall, highlighted the current problems with temporary accommodation at a meeting of the neighbourhoods overview and scrutiny committee yesterday.

Councillors had been discussing a report setting out the council's outcome delivery plans which aim to set targets for the council over the next four years. This document covers all areas of the council but Mr Mason turned his focus on housing.

He said:

"At the moment we are failing to provide enough temporary accommodation. It is having an impact on people in Cornwall and having an impact on our budget.

"When we put people in hotels, Travelodges and Premier Inns it is not good for us. What it is about is providing sufficient temporary accommodation but also to prevent homelessness in the first place."

The council has been taking action to provide more temporary accommodation including installing cabin-style homes on council-owned land which can be used by single people and acquiring hostels, lodges, and holiday parks that could be used to shelter homeless people.

Committee member Dominic Fairman said that he was concerned that the council was "sliding" on temporary accommodation adding:

"The word is temporary, we are not managing that. It is a sticking plaster."

Mr Mason said he did not agree that the council was "sliding" but did say that it was facing increasing demand:

"During the pandemic, we have gone from 250 households needing temporary accommodation to over 700 households needing temporary accommodation.

"If we had 250 households we would have them in decent accommodation and probably be able to get them out. But with more people needing temporary accommodation than leaving it, we are not able to do that. The rented housing market has all but disappeared across Cornwall."

Mr Mason said that the council should have an ambition to resolve the issue and that, "we need to concentrate on those people who need us the most, those people who are homeless or about to be homeless are the people who need us most."