Newspaper Column 24th July - Support for the Homeless

 Parliament has now risen for summer recess after a busy session with a lot of important legislation going through. I am looking forward to spending the rest of July and August here in Cornwall, hard at work on behalf of local people and businesses. Please do get in touch if you would like me to visit your business or organisation and my team will be happy to arrange a visit.

Last week, on Friday it was great to welcome the Minister for Homelessness, Felicity Buchan MP, to Truro & Falmouth for a visit to Chough House and then the Bunkabins in place in Truro.

Chough House is a newly renovated property with 9 individual en-suite rooms where people can feel safe and supported. It is aimed at over 18s who are new to rough sleeping and can stay for approximately 72 hours, before moving on. Help is on hand to progress them through a pathway to independence. It is an amazing, bright and light building while feeling welcoming and cosy. Importantly, the building has self contained areas, so vulnerable people can lock the door and feel secure.

The staff we met were incredibly proud and passionate about their job and I am confident this will be very successful. The second visit was to the cabins in place in Truro. Again, this is a site of independent pods where clients can feel secure and safe while receiving help and support to keep them from returning to the streets.

The Minister was delighted to have met such enthusiastic and knowledgeable people and I will work with her to provide more accommodation as this is such an important area to succeed in as it reduces strain on blue light services.

While temporary accommodation is a last resort, it is a vital lifeline for those at risk of homelessness. I will continue to work with Cornwall Council and all of the other excellent local partners to tackle the housing crisis in Cornwall.

I also remain focused on ensuring the Government continues to provide Councils with the funding and support they need to tackle homelessness and deliver more affordable housing across Cornwall.

As well as providing modular homes for temporary and emergency accommodation, Cornwall Council is also continuing work to:  

· Buy existing homes to use as social housing     

· Build more Council houses for local people to rent or buy 

· Support the provision of affordable homes by housing associations for local people to rent or buy     

· Ensure sites deliver affordable housing through the planning process    

· Unlock the potential for town centres to be regenerated to provide more housing    

· Support community-led organisations that want to deliver their own homes    

· Offer loans to bring empty homes back into use

· Enable communities to stop new builds being snapped up by would be second homeowners

As always, I am fully focused on the job at hand and if there is ever anything at all I can do to help, then please do not hesitate to contact me. Please get in touch with me by email at Cherilyn.mackrory.mp@parliament.uk , or by telephone on 01872 229698. My regular constituency advice surgeries are held in a covid-safe environment at my office, so please do get in touch should you wish to meet me about any matters that I can be of assistance with.