Home > Rural Housing > Areas of work

Areas of work

1. To raise awareness of local housing need and the means to tackle them

Parish Councils may be aware of a need for affordable housing but not know how to help, others think there might be a need but have no factual evidence of it. By carrying out a Housing Needs Survey (HNS) the Rural Housing Enabler can work with the Parish Council to find out how many people living within the parish need housing and determine the type of accommodation would be most appropriate. People may need to move to a smaller or larger house or have children who will be requiring a home of their own in the future. It could be that a friend or relative has moved away to find affordable housing but would like to return. Housing Needs Surveys are used to support planning applications on ‘exception sites’ (A plot of land abutting the development boundary of the village which may be granted planning permission for no purpose other than affordable housing.)

Example of Parish Housing Needs Survey
To find out more, email Moira Groborz

 

2. To facilitate the provision of affordable housing

Many organisations and people are involved in developing an affordable housing scheme. Because all these organisations have a stake in building houses sometimes it is necessary to have an impartial party who can act as a go-between without favour. The Rural Housing Enabler is employed by the Rural Community Council of Essex to provide this important liaison role. This means that everyone can be sure that the interests of the people in need of housing will be foremost.

 

3. To influence local, sub regional and regional strategies that impact on affordable housing

Working in partnership with statutory and voluntary sector organisations the Rural Housing Enabler can ensure that the issue of affordable rural housing is kept as a high priority. With the local on-the-ground knowledge the Rural Housing Enabler can feed Essex views and difficulties into sub-regional and regional forums.

EXAMPLES OF FORUMS

• London Commuter Belt Rural Housing Group
• Greater Haven Gateway Housing Enablers Group
• Rural Housing Enabler Advisory Group
• Regional RHE Network

 

4. To address other housing issues of local concern

Whilst working with communities on affordable rural housing other issues may arise. The Rural Housing Enabler can help to address these in a number of ways;

• Feed into the appropriate forum or through contact with other organizations interested in these matters
• Develop as a special project to highlight the issue
• Work with the Rural Community Council of Essex fieldwork team either on a countywide basis or at district level
• Share good practice with parish councils, other Rural Housing Enablers and local authorities.