Housing 'crisis' in Cornwall as homeless moved out of hotels to make way for tourists

St Ives
Homeless people have been removed from hotels to make way for tourists. Credit: PA images.

Homeless people who were placed in empty hotels across Cornwall during the coronavirus pandemic have been removed to make way for tourists.

The region is facing one of its busiest summers on record with thousands of people expected to switch holidays abroad with trips to the West Country this year.

It has since been revealed though that around 130 homeless people who were given emergency accommodation in Cornwall during the pandemic were being asked to move out to make way for flocks of incoming holiday-makers.

Olly Monk, Cornwall Council's cabinet member for housing said a solution for the 'crisis' needed to be found as soon as possible.

Olly Monk has said that the crisis in Cornwall needs to be resolved quickly.

"Last week about 130 people left temporary and emergency accommodation that the council provides at hotel chains and B&Bs for the reason that people wanted to get back to the business of providing hotel accommodation for regular, paying guests."

"Cornwall Housing managed to rehouse pretty much all of them. A lot of them moved in with family or friends, some were rehoused in Plymouth.

"A very small number of people, discretionary claimants, who were housed in Cornwall during Covid who couldn't get back to where they came from during the pandemic have been offered accommodation elsewhere.

"This is a crisis and we need to come up with some innovative solutions to it very quickly."

The G7 summit is due to start in the region later this week.

Another Cornwall councillor hopes a legacy from the G7 will provide more accommodation for homeless people.

Jayne Kirkham, Labour councillor for Falmouth Penwerris, said: "The G7 and the encroaching holiday season has flagged up a real weakness in homelessness and housing provision in Cornwall.

"Trying to rehouse so many people at short notice in Cornwall in the summer with the place full due to the G7 is incredibly difficult and expensive. The worry is that some people will slip through the net and end up back on the streets."

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