THE PRICE of becoming homeless has come as a shock for two distraught Bodmin families after Cornwall Council doubled their rents overnight.

The council wants the Lang and Matthews families to pay £187 per week each for temporary accommodation in two mobile homes on waste ground off Lostwithiel Road.

Neither are claiming housing benefits and work to make ends meet, but say they cannot afford the near 100% price hike and fear they will be evicted.

Two weeks ago the council granted planning consent for more than a dozen new homes to be built on the land which it owns.

Mother-of-three Hayley Lang, 26, said her family became homeless after their private landlord decided to sell the property they were living in.

'Impossible'

"My husband Anthony is managing to get 18 hours of work a week, and I'm studying at St Austell College. We were just about managing to pay the council rent of £95 per week for the mobile home, but from April the council says we have to pay £186.90 – it's going to be impossible," she said.

Tanya Matthews, 36, her husband Andrew and their two young children were forced to seek temporary council accommodation after their home was repossessed when they fell behind with mortgage repayments.

Mrs Matthews has two part-time jobs, and her husband works for a local distribution company. But she too fears for her family's future.

She spoke of her shock over the rent demand: "I thought it was a typing error but the council said that was the correct amount we will have to pay, we were just shocked.

"The rent the council is asking for is much more than a private landlord would want for a large house," said Mrs Matthews.

"But we are in a cramped, mobile home with rooms – which are freezing in the winter – going mouldy.

'Stressful'

"We are doing all we can for our children, and just want to get settled and give the kids a stable life, but it will be impossible to pay that amount of money every week, we just can't afford it.

Mrs Lang added: "I can't see how the council can justify doubling what was a high rent anyway. It's incredibly stressful and we don't know what to do next."

Cornwall Council says the huge rent hike comes after a countywide review.

A spokeswoman at County Hall said: "As part of the transformation process of the housing service within Cornwall Council, a review of all rent charges relating to private sector leased properties has been carried out to align rent charges across the former six district councils.

"This review has been carried out due to changes in legislation introduced by the Department of Work and Pensions and to ensure consistency throughout Cornwall.

"Clients who have seen an increase in rents have been advised that their individual cases will be reviewed and they will be signposted to agencies to assist with any affordability issues and to gain further advice."