Why Housing and Health Go Hand-in-Hand in Our Rural Communities

We’ve all heard the saying “home is where the heart is”, but as a powerful new report from homelessness charity Crisis shows, home is also where our health begins.

Titled “Now I have my flat, my health is much more stable”, the report—supported by Health Equals paints a stark picture of just how unaffordable private renting has become for many people across the country. And the impact isn’t just financial. It's physical, mental, and emotional too.

According to the report, the numbers are hard to ignore. Just 2.7% of private rental properties are affordable to people on Local Housing Allowance (LHA). The average shortfall is eye-watering £337 a month for a one-bedroom flat. Families are being forced into overcrowded housing, poor-quality rentals, or temporary accommodation, often with no proper cooking facilities or space for children to study or play. Unsurprisingly, this is leading to spiralling health problems- both physical and mental.

In rural areas like ours, this crisis is hitting particularly hard. That’s where our Rural Housing Enabler steps in.

So what is a Rural Housing Enabler?

Think of the Rural Housing Enabler (or RHE) as the local matchmaker between rural communities and affordable housing solutions. It’s their job to work closely with parish councils, landowners, housing associations, and local people to understand what’s really needed in our villages—then help make it happen.

They identify gaps in the housing mix (like the lack of homes for young families or downsizing options for older residents), gather evidence, and support the development of small, sensitively designed housing schemes that meet local needs. The RHE also helps navigate the maze of planning rules and funding options that can often be a barrier in rural areas.

In short, they bring people together, build trust, and keep the wheels turning on projects that would otherwise struggle to get off the ground.

And they’re needed now more than ever.

Local problems, national solutions

The Crisis report confirms what rural communities have known for years: when people can’t afford to live in the places they grew up in, or where they work and care for others, the whole community suffers. Schools struggle to stay open. Local services decline. And people’s health begins to unravel.

That’s why, alongside the work we’re doing locally through our Rural Housing Enabler, we support Crisis’s call for national action. We need the Government to raise Local Housing Allowance rates, invest in social housing, and make sure the private rental sector works for people, not just landlords.

Because when we get housing right, everything else has a chance to thrive; health, education, community spirit, and the rural way of life we all value so much.

Want to find out more about the work of our Rural Housing Enabler or how we’re supporting affordable housing in Norfolk? Get in touch here - we’d love to hear from you.