15 new homes launched in Truro to help people in urgent housing need
They are the first of 79 that will be launched across Cornwall
15 new homes have launched to help people in Truro who might otherwise find themselves in temporary emergency accommodation.
They are the first of 79 which will be launching across Cornwall - providing safe and secure homes for people in urgent housing need.
Councillor Olly Monk, cabinet member for Housing and Planning, told us: "It provides much needed accommodation. The beauty of these is we can fill them from people who are actually from the area, from Truro, so the more of these we build the more we can keep people close to where they want to actually live.
"At the moment, it's unacceptable we have to move people further and further afield just due to the complete lack of supply of private rented properties".
The SoloHaus self-contained one-bedroom homes provide safe and secure homes for people in urgent housing need.
Designed with the help of leading homelessness charities, SoloHaus properties are single-storey fully self-contained modular homes with kitchen, living and dining area, bedroom and bathroom and arrive fully furnished, with everything necessary for someone to move into the same day, right down to knives, forks and bedlinen.
Take a look inside:
Craig O'Shea has experienced homelessness, living outside in just a tent, and has told us schemes like these to get people in to individual accommodation has helped him to feel "safer and warmer".
"It's helped me rebuild my life"
He is currently living under a similar scheme in Newquay:
"It's my space, I am in charge of who can come into my house and I love it. It's helped me rebuild my life and what I do in life. It's helped me rethink".
The Council say that tackling current housing pressures is a top priority:
"The impact of the Covid pandemic, the reduction in the number of privately rented homes (due in part to increased demand for holiday accommodation), rising rental costs and the recent general property boom have created a ‘perfect storm’ in the local housing market.
"People can find themselves homeless and in need of housing assistance from the Council for many reasons, including family or relationship breakdown, people fleeing domestic violence, eviction from a privately rented home (including ‘no fault’ evictions), loss of income/employment, bereavement, significant changes to mental or physical health, or struggling to cope with life outside the armed forces".