Good News for Rural Affordable Housing

There’s been a positive announcement from the government about the future of social and affordable housing. Their new plan, Delivering a Decade of Renewal, recognises that some types of housing like homes in rural areas, supported housing, council-built homes, and community-led schemes, can cost more to build, but are still hugely important.

Instead of setting strict targets for the number of homes in each category, the government is now encouraging providers to come forward with thoughtful, locally tailored bids. They’ve promised to assess each bid on its own merits, based on the local context and value for money. That’s a big step forward, especially for rural areas that have often struggled to get the support they need.

Another important change is the decision to protect new council homes from being sold under Right to Buy for 35 years. This will help keep more affordable homes in communities for the long term.

What Local Communities Are Saying

We’ve recently worked with two small rural villages in Norfolk to carry out Housing Needs Surveys. While we can’t name the villages for privacy reasons, the results paint a really clear picture.

In one village, nearly a third of respondents were second homeowners, but 84% of people supported a small development of affordable homes. The survey also identified 10 households in housing need who weren’t on the local housing register.

In another nearby village, 88% of residents were in favour of affordable homes, and we found 14 more households in housing need who had not registered officially.

Both villages raised concerns about the impact of second homes and holiday lets, and the lack of smaller homes for local families, first-time buyers, and older people wanting to downsize. People were really clear: they support small scale, affordable homes for local people, but not large developments or homes that are likely to be snapped up as second homes.

What Needs to Happen Next

This national policy shift is a great opportunity, but it’s just the first step. We now need Homes England and other funding bodies to make sure these good intentions turn into real homes on the ground.

That means:

• Tracking how many homes are actually being delivered in small villages (especially those with fewer than 3,000 residents)
• Making sure the new Prospectus, due in September, includes rural and community led housing
• Encouraging housing providers to come forward with bids that reflect what rural communities really need
   

We’ll also be keeping an eye on how funding is shared between different areas, including Mayoral authorities, to make sure rural communities don’t miss out.

A Step in the Right Direction

All in all, this is a good day for rural affordable housing. Local people are saying loud and clear that they want small, affordable homes, and now the national policy is starting to reflect that too.

But we know from experience that rural delivery can be complex, and it doesn’t happen overnight. We need to keep pushing to make sure this momentum continues so rural communities don’t just get promises, but real homes that meet their needs and help them thrive.

To read more about our work with Rural Housing in Norfolk, click here.