Inside new Cornwall Council cabins for people who need emergency housing

New cabins will soon be used as emergency accommodation for those in need in Cornwall.

The units will be used instead of hotels as part of a new scheme from Cornwall Council.

The site at New County Hall in Truro will house people in urgent need of somewhere to stay, as well as providing medium-term accommodation.

It is hoped the cabins will provide more security, with residents not having to worry about being told to move at short notice, which could have happened at a hotel.

The 21 new units, leased from specialist company Bunkabin, have been installed and are soon to be brought into use.

Olly Monk, the council’s portfolio holder for planning and housing, said: “These temporary schemes have been hugely beneficial to those in need during the pandemic and now we’re expanding them as one way to give people safe and reliable accommodation while we work to find them long-term, settled, places to live.

"We are working tirelessly to do all we can to alleviate the housing pressures on Cornwall and sites like this are important, as they give us space to implement more long-term solutions. 

“We are working to provide as many affordable homes to rent and buy, and homes for social rent as possible and we are working with our existing housing partners to accelerate this.” 

As with the existing sites, Cornwall Housing will manage the New County Hall accommodation. There will be 24/7 on-site security and the council says it will support residents with their onward journey to long-term settled accommodation.  

Announcing the scheme back in June, Cornwall Council said it costs around £6million a year to house those in need of emergency and temporary accommodation – and this could rise to £10million by the end of the year. 

Work on a similar scheme is ongoing at Rosewarne car park in Camborne.