Home is where the heart is

I moved to live in Cornwall in 2016 so to many I am likely to be viewed as an “incomer” or even “emmet”. However in the five years it has taken to feel bedded in and settled here in Hayle, I have become increasingly aware of the very fragile situation of many people who don’t have the luxury of being “bedded in” or settled as they are either at risk of losing their home or are unable to find and/or afford one. Landlords are giving long term tenants notice to quit with an eye on securing much higher rental income from holiday lets or with the vastly inflated house prices are selling to the highest bidder. This in turn is preventing people from being able to find affordable rented accommodation and local would be home owners from ever being able to afford to buy property locally. Developers seem to have been allowed to plough on with their creation of “high end” accommodation which attracts wealthy investors who see the return on their investment in terms of high holiday rental income and provides nothing by way of sensible, affordable housing for people of Cornwall.

All in all I feel very lucky to have a secure home for my old age but feel angry and upset that this beautiful county is being choked by its own unregulated success as a go to holiday destination, which turns out to be a double edged sword for the whole of Cornwall. Seems that Cornwall Council have to take some difficult decisions and urgently put in place some checks and balances aimed at tackling this housing crisis