A NEW appeal is leading the way in its efforts to reduce homelessness in Cornwall,

Housing in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly is under significant and growing pressure, with thousands unable to find stable or affordable homes, leading to widespread challenges like poor mental and physical health, loneliness and low educational outcomes.

The Cornwall Community Foundation’s (CCF) new Cornwall Housing Action Appeal is aiming to raise more funding to tackle homelessness and housing shortages.

The CCF have been a key source of funding for community groups and charities across Cornwall for over 20 years. They give support based on local need, and have funded projects focusing on mental health, social isolation and, among other things, housing.

In 2022, Cornwall Council declared a county-wide housing crisis. Now there are 21,120 households on the Cornwall Homechoice social and affordable housing register. This has increased by 131 per cent over the last five years.

Communities are taking the issues of housing shortages into their own hands by creating their own affordable housing projects, either with new builds or the restoration of existing buildings. However, these projects are often held up at the very earliest stages: whilst finance is available for the build or refurbishment costs, the initial feasibility studies are difficult to fund. The CCF aims to offer core funding to these groups to get their plans off the drawing board.

Tamas Haydu, CEO of the CCF, said, “Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly are facing a housing crisis, and it affects our communities on so many levels. However, we believe that together, the people and groups in Cornwall working for our communities can develop more homes for local people. We are very grateful to The Duke of Cornwall’s Charitable Foundation for their generous contribution to this new appeal. We hope that many people will join our effort to raise more funds to eradicate homelessness and to support local community led housing developments.”

Harbour Housing is one of the charities supported by the CCF that help people who are either homeless or facing homelessness. Kev, one of the beneficiaries of Harbour Housing, successfully moved on from their supported accommodation. When he was staying at Harbour Housing, he would often volunteer in the communal kitchen. As well as making meals for staff, residents and volunteers in the kitchen, he has helped them learn to cook. For Kev, this isn’t just about teaching a life skill, it’s a space to make people laugh, engage with them, and listen to anything they want to share.

Volunteering with Harbour Housing, and experiencing homelessness himself, Kev has seen first-hand the impact of Cornwall’s housing crisis. He’s seen people struggling on zero-hour contracts, people who have had a job one day and become homeless the next. Paraphrasing Harbour’s Operations Manager, Malcom, he said: “Everyone deserves somewhere to sleep, a door to feel secure, and to live a life without prejudice.

“We want to support people like Kev, and organisations like Harbour Housing, to continue working with those who have been hit by the housing crisis.”