Cornwall family of seven plan to live in caravan after struggling to find affordable accommodation

A dad of five says he is 'shocked and angry' at the lack of housing support for people in Cornwall after he and his family were evicted.

Darren Knowles, who is from St Austell, says his partner and their five children were almost made homeless after being asked to leave their property.

His family were temporarily housed in a number of holiday homes thanks to a housing charity in the Duchy.

But now he says he has been left with few options but to house his five children in a caravan and crowdfund money to pay for it.

Darren, who works as a supervisor at a manufacturing company near St Austell, was left searching for a home after receiving an official section 21 notice on 9 August.

The 45-year-old found he could not find anywhere he could afford and turned to the council for help.

He said: "Because I work, if the council put us in emergency accommodation, they would want nearly £3,000 a week. I'm shocked and angry at the way Cornwall Council has dealt with us as a family.

"Surely everything must be done to keep a working person in employment, and children in a school? I've had no contact from them and got told my case worker was too busy.

"If you want to work, and get in this situation, it feels like you are on your own," he added.

Staff on the council's emergency housing team suggested the family relocate to an area outside Exeter where space was available, meaning they would have to leave their lives in Cornwall behind.

Darren said: "It's just really hard. I don't want to ruin my children's lives. I'm still taking my kids to Penwithick so they can go to school, and I'm still working at my job, plus we are still all together.

"As for the help from the council, it's disgusting. I really don't understand why there is no support for people that work."

On the last day of their tenancy, the family packed their belongings into a car and drove to Newquay Drop in and Share Centre (DISC), unsure of where they were going to go next.

The charity's manager, Monique Collins, then funded the family to stay for a week at Hendra Holiday Park in Newquay.

Darren then managed to find a place to stay for a further 10 days at another holiday park. He then secured a caravan from 4 November for 60 days, which means the family will not be on the streets over Christmas.

But Darren said the caravan will cost £1,660 with an additional £300 deposit, something he simply does not have the cash for yet.

Monique said staff at DISC say Darren's situation is not unusual, with many families who are employed struggling.

She said: "We've got over 3,000 people on our books now, and most of them are working families.

"What we've found with working families is that they want to make something of themselves and they want to work, but they become homeless, then the Government, our council, won't help them."

Monique also believes that the situation is deteriorating as rents in Cornwall rise and pressure on housing continues to intensify.

She added: "It's not getting any better. It's just getting worse, and it's left to charities like us - that aren't paid and that hugely depend on donations - to keep things going. I can't see the light at the end of the tunnel."

A spokesperson for Cornwall Council said they "sympathise with those who find themselves with the prospect of losing their home".

They added the council will "help by putting together a personalised housing plan, setting out the steps they should take to secure alternative accommodation and the support that the council is able to offer with this.

"Under homelessness legislation the council has a duty to provide temporary accommodation to certain households.

"The council is not liable to pay for temporary accommodation costs and therefore applicants are advised of the full cost. However, they are also supported to apply for Housing Benefit to assist in paying for the accommodation.

"Working applicants may be entitled to full, partial or no Housing Benefit dependent upon their income.

"Where an applicant is working and unable to afford accommodation that is over and above any Housing Benefit entitlement, the council will carry out an affordability assessment to determine what payment the applicant is expected to make towards their accommodation."