News - Cornwall spending £70,000 a month on emergency B&Bs

About £70,000 a month is being spent on emergency bed and breakfast accommodation in Cornwall because of a shortage of affordable housing.

The council said there were currently about 18,500 people on its waiting list for housing or help with housing.

About 100 people are being housed in B&Bs, the cost of which is mainly being paid for through government housing benefits.

The council said it was making "every effort" to increase its housing stock.

Mark Kaczmarek, cabinet member for housing, said the council was using private landlords "more and more" to provide accommodation.

He said: "We have people who can't afford the mortgages, they can't afford the cost of living and they're actually homeless.

"There is a desperate need for people to have low-rent, decent accommodation.

"We, as a council, have got a duty to provide accommodation and we have to depend on B&Bs to take up the slack."

For the full story, please visit http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-12682009