‘Not rocket science’ as Cornwall housing targets fail to make noise in crisis

An academic is to launch a study into the county’s housing crisis – but readers in our comments section reckon they already know the solutions and say it’s “not rocket science”. Professor Malcolm Williams, of the Institute of Cornish Studies at the University of Exeter’s Penryn Campus, believes the thousands of new homes Cornwall has been told by various governments to build do not appear to have made much of a difference.

Housing developments are a common sight in Cornwall as the council aims for a 2030 target of 48,645 new homes. Professor Williams says: “In Cornwall we’ve been building houses like there’s no tomorrow, but despite that we still have this massive housing crisis. It doesn’t seem to be helping the affordability and availability crisis we’re seeing in the Duchy. “

A survey is due to be launched in the coming weeks and the results later in the year will be used to influence decision makers at Cornwall Council. “We want to know who lives in those new homes,” Williams says. “We want to look at new housing developments over the last 10 years in Cornwall and look at the stories of these people, where they come from, whether it’s from within Cornwall or outside the county.”

Yerboys comment reads: “I don’t need a study. It’s simple, most of the hundreds of houses built go to foreigners. Even in the days of council housing, a young couple wouldn’t get enough points to own a house. someone in a city who could get more points based on need. So a young local always had a struggle to get a house. Yerboy’s argument seems somewhat flawed because social housing in Cornwall is not offered to people with no local connection, although houses here are often bought by those from elsewhere.

User 16Fairfield says: “Houses are like anything else, they are normally built and sold to those who can afford them. I agree that scarce social housing should be given preferentially to local people (not sure if this is legal) but it should not be means tested (not for life), not sold and with a proper contract so that ” ‘bad apples’ to be easily removed as council housing unfortunately has/has a bad reputation People shouldn’t be stigmatized for living in good social housing.” Obviously social housing is “means tested”, in the sense that it is only for those who cannot afford their own.

Different types of housing are part of the answer, believes FredaHarris: “The time has definitely come for more small, affordable flats to be built, rather than traditional three-bedroom properties with garden patches at the front and back, plus a garage that is too small to accommodate. any modern car.”

Kernowmaid67 writes: “Some offer shared ownership which is a scam. Yes, you get a cheaper mortgage, but you still have to come up with the rent for the shared portion each month, but check the boxes that make them seem “affordable.” ‘.”

Tp1810’s comment simply says, “Well, no one can afford it, that’s the problem, it’s not rocket science.”

Would building more flats help solve Cornwall’s housing crisis? Comment below and join the conversation.