The number of people in Cornwall needing temporary accommodation has soared

The number of households in Cornwall requiring temporary accommodation increased significantly since the coronavirus outbreak.

And the number of people who are homeless or at risk of sleeping rough has also risen due to losing their accommodation for various reasons including family and friends having to social distance.

Cornwall Council has revealed that since March 640 households have needed emergency housing – in the same period last year the figure was 387.

When looking at weekly figures at the highest point in July there were 548 households in temporary accommodation with 30% families with children.

A report from the council states: “The remainder were single homeless individuals, of which 168 would have had to sleep rough if not made an offer of accommodation and of these 159 individuals were new applicants as rough sleepers.”

It gives an insight into the number of people in Cornwall who have found themselves homeless.

The report continues: “The proportion of single homeless individuals and those at significant risk of rough sleeping has risen sharply during the pandemic, illustrating and reflecting the fragility of many such person’s housing situations – with the main reasons for their becoming homeless and/or at risk of rough sleeping being family and friends no longer being able to accommodate them.

“It is thought that this is due to households having to socially distance, sofa surfing not being able to continue as people could no longer move from house to house or fleeing domestic abuse and other violence.

“In addition, a number of single people have lost tied accommodation as the service industries closed down.”

The council also says that the number of people sleeping rough in Cornwall was recorded as 23 in July and in August had risen to 29, although in September it dropped to 26.

A report on the issues of homelessness and housing need is set to go to a meeting of the council’s economic growth and development overview and scrutiny committee when it meets next week.

It sets out how the council responded to calls from the Government in March that anyone sleeping rough or at risk of sleeping rough should be offered accommodation.

This was due to concerns that people sleeping rough were at significant risk of contracting the COVID-19 virus as they often have underlying health conditions and they also do not have access to hygiene facilities which can reduce the risk of transmission.

The council used emergency accommodation sites, empty properties and other providers to ensure that they could provide accommodation to those that needed it.

And the report states that the council is looking to bid for government funding which would allow five COVID accommodation sites to be extended until the end of March 2021.

The council is also looking to set a future strategy: “As we move forward it is proposed to maintain a commitment to making an offer of accommodation to anyone sleeping rough or at imminent risk of doing so – and seek to end rough sleeping for good and ensure that we do not see sustained and rising levels of rough sleeping in Cornwall in the future.”

However there is a warning that with the economic and social pressures of the pandemic set to increase there is a risk that more people could find themselves homeless or at risk of losing their home.

The council is working on various schemes which will help to provide more housing and accommodation for those who need it.

A Private Rented Acquisition project is reported to have picked up pace and offers have been accepted on 107 homes.

Supported accommodation providers are also working with the council to help those who are ready for independence to move on so that more supported accommodation space can be available.

Cornwall is also one of 22 priority areas outside of London to get funding from the Government’s Next Steps Accommodation Programme – the council has bid for funding with a decision to be made this month.

The council has also submitted a bid for money from a fund to meet the costs of COVID-19 emergency accommodation which would extend the 49 units currently being used and provide an extra 14 units of accommodation.

Current provision is in Penzance, Truro and St Austell while the additional units are proposed for Falmouth. The total cost of the schemes is £728,910 and the council has successfully bid for £567,620 from the Government.

Another project which has been drawn up with the council working with partners including Harbour Housing, Ocean Housing and St Petroc’s to provide longer-term move-on accommodation.

The total capital cost of the schemes is £13.2million with a bid being made for £6.9m.

The projects include six schemes to support people who are still sleeping rough and to prepare people to move into settled accommodation’ nine scheme to deliver 125 units of accommodation and five schemes to provide 32 units of accommodation.

The council’s economic growth and development overview and scrutiny committee will meet to discuss the report next Tuesday (Oct 13).