Cornish mum of seven's desperate search for home amid housing crisis

  • Watch Claire Manning's report above

A mum from Cornwall has described how her family has been evicted and left homeless as a result of the county's housing crisis.

Gemma Pearman, her husband and seven children were evicted from their private rented home in Launceston at the end of August when her landlord put the house on the market.

Since then the couple and their five youngest children have been rehoused in emergency accommodation six times in various different towns across Cornwall.

Gemma told ITV News she believes she could be waiting up to 18 months for a council home.

191022 Gemma Pearman and her family in their temporary accommodation Credit: ITV

She said: "Renting is just not an option because we just don't have the funds to rent again and I don't want to be in that situation where we will be homeless again. I just need a forever home for our children and just to live life as normal as possible."

Currently the family is being housed by the council in a holiday chalet at a golf course near Launceston where they are being provided with bed and breakfast.

While Gemma says it is comfortable, she says without cooking facilities and a washing machine it is not a home and she does not know if her family will be able to stay past next week.

They've previously been given emergency accommodation in caravans and hotels in Looe, Helston and St Austell.

Gemma and her children Credit: ITV

Gemma's ten year old daughter Freya, who has missed nearly two weeks of schooling while the family have been temporarily housed in other towns, told ITV News she wanted to find a house in Launceston so she could stay at her school with her friends.

Gemma says the upheaval of moving all the time has been particularly upsetting for her nine year old son Harry who's deaf with profound learning disabilities.

She said: "Harry is very agitated, he just wants to leave wherever we are quickly and is just upset all of the time and I think he is just missing stability and routine."

In a statement Cornwall Council said: "We continue to offer support to all those living in emergency accommodation to help them find long-term homes.

"We are developing new 'council housing', such as our social rented scheme at The Market Garden in Veryan, and the strategic acquisitions we have made on sites at Padstow, Launceston and the West Carclaze Garden Village."