Housing Leader Shares Insights with Rotary Members

Coastline Housing – Serving Cornwall’s Communities

Coastline Housing is a not‑for‑profit housing association based in Cornwall, dedicated to providing affordable homes and vital support services across the county. With thousands of properties under its management, Coastline works to ensure that local people have access to safe, secure, and sustainable housing. Beyond bricks and mortar, the organisation invests in community initiatives that strengthen neighbourhoods and improve lives.

The South West Under Pressure

Allister’s presentation made clear that Cornwall, and towns like Penzance, are under particular strain. House prices have risen far faster than local wages, leaving many families unable to buy or rent suitable homes. The demand for housing continues to outstrip supply, and the number of new homes being built falls short of the number of new households forming each year.

For Cornwall, the challenge is compounded by its popularity as a place to live and holiday, land prices and availability, and wage levels that lag behind national averages. In Penzance, this translates into young people locked out of homeownership, families struggling with high private rents, and employers finding it harder to attract and retain the workforce needed to sustain the local economy.

How Did We Get Here?

Allister explained how government priorities have shifted over time. In the mid‑1970s, billions were invested in housebuilding, but by the mid‑2020s this figure has fallen dramatically. Revenue spending on benefits has grown while capital investment in building has declined, leaving a legacy of under‑supply.

Social housing has been particularly affected. In 1980, England had 5.5 million homes available for social rent. Between 1980 and 2017, only 1.1 million new social rent homes were built, while 2 million were sold through the Right to Buy scheme and a further 500,000 were demolished. Today, only around 4 million social rent homes remain. For Cornwall, this means fewer affordable options for those most in need, pushing more families into the private rental market.

The Human and Local Impact

The consequences are felt keenly in Cornwall and Penzance:

• Poor and lower‑income families are increasingly reliant on private renting, often at higher cost
• Poor housing is costing the NHS around £1.4 billion per year nationally, with the full social cost estimated at £18.5 billion annually — a burden that is reflected locally in poorer health outcomes and reduced productivity.
• Young adults in Penzance are locked out of homeownership, with many turning to risky financial behaviours as house prices remain unaffordable.
• Housing costs as a share of income have risen across all groups, but most sharply for those on the lowest incomes.

Barriers in Cornwall

Allister highlighted the specific barriers Cornwall faces:

• Planning: Decisions and permissions for housing development have steadily declined.
• Labour Shortages: Construction employers in Cornwall struggle to find skilled workers, with an ageing workforce adding to the challenge.
• Market Saturation and Profitability: Developers can only release a certain number of homes into a local market before prices begin to fall, reducing profitability. Oliver Letwin highlighted that the way forward is to diversify - building a broader mix of tenures, including homes for rent (both market and social) alongside homes for sale, to sustain value and meet wider housing needs.
• Space: Cornwall’s land use shows only 5% built‑on area, compared to 6% nationally. Building the homes Cornwall needs would shift ‘built up’ areas from 5% to 6% of coverage in Cornwall.

Reasons for Optimism in Penzance

Despite the scale of the crisis, Allister stressed reasons for optimism. Affordable housing has been delivered successfully before, and with positive leadership it can be achieved again. Local initiatives such as the Penzance Neighbourhood Plan, written by residents to guide planning decisions, show the power of community involvement.

He also highlighted Homes for Cornwall, an independent coalition committed to driving forward the right kind of housing for the county. Written at a time of crisis and opportunity, it seeks to face the facts and look for solutions that offer hope for a better future.

Conclusion – A Local Call to Action

Allister concluded that good quality affordable homes are essential. They underpin health and wellbeing, provide the foundation for people to live full lives, and are vital for businesses and public services to thrive. Yet provision has been neglected as a national priority for decades, leaving Cornwall and towns like Penzance facing a housing crisis that is both acute and long‑standing.

Despite this, Coastline Housing remains committed to its mission: to end the housing crisis in Cornwall. The organisation will continue to invest in the quality of existing homes, ensuring they are safe, secure, and fit for the future, while also increasing the number of new affordable homes built to meet both customer and community needs. For Penzance, this commitment offers hope that future generations will have the homes they need to live, work, and thrive in the community they call home.

Additional Resources for Members

Severe weather meant that some members were unable to join the meeting in person. To ensure everyone can still benefit from the discussion, the full slideshow presented by Allister has been shared here. 

In addition, a short video he would have loved to have shown during the session is provided here so members can watch it at their convenience https://vimeo.com/291108273?fl=pl&fe=sh