'We're so much happier' - family who lived in one room on importance of proper housing

  • Tom Burrell and Kira Hadwill said getting secure, affordable housing has transformed their lives, as Kathy Wardle reports

For parents Tom Burrell and Kira Hadwill, securing a family home on a new social housing development has been life-changing.

The couple previously spent six years living in a tiny flat with mould problems, where they were only able to use the front room.

Now parents to a 16-month old baby girl, Tom and Kira are some of the first tenants at a new social housing development in Connor Downs, near Hayle, Cornwall.

They were able to move into the Coastline Housing development as they met the requirements on having a local connection to the area.

"It's so much better, we're happier in ourselves, we were struggling a little bit with mental health and my health as well," Kira said.

Tom added: "We had mould in the old place, and coming here my asthma has drastically improved."

Kira Hadwill said she's so much happier after securing a family home on a new social housing development. Credit: ITV News

The couple said they had no room for a table at their previous flat in Camborne, and mainly lived in the front room.

"It wasn't ideal," said Kira. "But I was looking at private rentals and we were looking at £1,000 plus a month, and we don't have that kind of money."

Tom added: "A lot of my friends have moved out of Cornwall because it's just impossible trying to find a house.

"This place feels more like a home than anywhere I think I've ever lived before."

Tom Burrell and Kira Hadwill have secured a family home on the Coastline Housing development. Credit: ITV News

The Coastline Housing development is made up of of 21 rental homes and nine shared ownership homes.

Coastline Housing Chief Executive Allister Young said: "There's a real mixture for people coming from different backgrounds.

"Some people might be coming from homelessness, and others in shared ownership might be people who are in work and looking to make that step."

The government has unveiled plans to get more new homes like the Connor Downs scheme built across the UK.

Deputy Prime Minister, Angela Rayner said: "For far too long the delivery of tens of thousands of new homes has been held back by a failure to make sure the development system is working as it should.

"This government has a moral obligation to do everything within our power to build the homes that people desperately need and we won't hesitate to intervene where we need to."