Cornwall Council has purchased 11 new homes in Liskeard, St Austell and Probus in a bid to provide more affordable housing for local people. 

The open market homes have been acquired using a combination of a grant from Homes England and council funding and will be let to local families in housing need at an affordable rent.

Olly Monk, Cornwall Council’s portfolio holder for housing and planning said: “Cornwall has a housing crisis. We know that local people could be waiting for years to find adequate, affordable housing in their local areas.

“Our top priority is to provide homes for local residents and this initiative means we can provide much needed new homes in areas where there is high demand.

“By buying homes on the open market and then making them available to local people for affordable rent, we can make sure that families can remain in the areas they currently live and work, and where their children go to school.”

All of the properties purchased are new build homes, varying from one, two and three bedrooms. The council also hopes to purchase a number of other properties in Liskeard and St Austell, working with Wain Homes to do so.

Cllr Nick Craker, councillor for Liskeard said: ““Housing that is affordable is an important issue across Cornwall, and Liskeard is no exception

“Unfortunately, I am regularly contacted by local residents who have lived in Liskeard all their lives but are either inadequately housed or effectively homeless. It’s great to see the council being so proactive and working with local communities to address this crisis.

“This is really great news for Liskeard and I will continue to work with the council and others to ensure that local people in housing need have access to high quality affordable housing and can remain in their local communities”.

Councillor Michael Bunney, the local member for St Mewan and Grampound, which includes the Higher Trewhiddle development near St Austell, said he was contacted every single week by local families who were desperate for somewhere to live.

“I am really pleased that Cornwall Council has purchased some of these houses at Higher Trewhiddle and are making them available for local people at an affordable rent and I would like to see even more of this happening in the future.

“Many of the people who contact me are in insecure private rented accommodation, temporary accommodation or are worried they are going to be evicted soon and to have three bedroom homes for these families to live in where they can feel secure as a permanent residence is life changing.“

Councillor Karen Glasson, the local member for Probus and St Erme, said: “I have spent many years working in advice and guidance and housing is always a huge issue for people. Since being elected as Cornwall Councillor I have regularly been contacted by residents looking for housing, particularly since the increase in rental costs across Cornwall.

“I am pleased that Cornwall Council has purchased some of the new homes in Probus to rent affordably to local families giving them a secure forever home. There is so much positive work being done by Cornwall Council to provide more affordable homes for local residents and I look forward to seeing more homes being made available."