Young Cornish residents turn to van living amid housing shortage

A growing number of young people in Cornwall are living in vans year-round, unable to afford rental homes in the county's tourist-driven housing market.

• About 24,000 Airbnbs and holiday lets operate in Cornwall, reducing long-term rental availability.
• Skye, 25, a teaching assistant, said she bought a van after repeatedly losing out on rental properties and now lives in it permanently.
• Caroline Dann, director of Traveller Space, said her charity runs weekly drop-in sessions for van dwellers, many of whom lack insulation, cooking, and parking skills.
• Sue Nicholls, a farmer, said she rents caravan spaces to 35 people facing homelessness, including teenagers as young as 17.