Affordable homes for local people

It is widely recognised that those living on low or modest incomes in rural communities face real difficulties when trying to find a home of their own within a village. Reasons for this are many, such as;

  • Right to Buy enabled council house tenants to purchase their home at a discount without these homes being replaced.
  • Loss of tied accommodation as agriculture becomes more mechanised.
  • High house prices and low wages in rural areas. With the average price of £385k, Essex is the 10th most pricey county out of 55 England and Wales' counties. The median property price to median earnings ratio is ranging between 8.3 in Tendring and 12 in Epping Forest. I.e. A Tendring resident with middle-income needs 8.3 gross annual salaries to buy a medium-priced property. Residents in Epping Forest need 12 annual salaries. The England and Wales ratio was 7.7 in 2019.
  • Gentrification where small houses are extended reducing the number of first time buyer properties that are available.
  • Restricted supply of suitable sites.

The number of families classified as homeless in rural towns and villages across England has increased by 85% between 2018-2019 (CPRE).

VIDEO CASE STUDY - Small scale affordable housing development makes big different to rural community.

This short film showcases how the parish of Roxwell in Essex worked with partners to bring forward a small bespoke scheme of locally prioritised affordable homes to the benefit of their community.

RCCE's Rural Housing Enabler, Laura Atkinson, played an instrumental role in bringing this forward. 

Speaking on film, Laura said, “It’s vital there are homes that are affordable to everyone in rural areas. Land values and house prices remain incredibly high, especially at the moment, post-Covid. And the gap between rural property prices and local wages continues to widen. Coupled with higher costs of living and rising energy prices, this leaves many unable to remain where they grew up or have support networks. I would really encourage any community looking to assess their affordable housing need to get in touch. We can help."

Rural Housing Enabler Service

It is not always apparent that there is a demand for affordable housing within a particular area or what the benefits of developing a small scheme for local people will bring in terms of helping to sustain local service. Rural affordable housing can benefit a huge range of different people within a community, from those wishing to make their first step onto the housing ladder to those wishing to downsize.

At RCCE we believe communities have the power to influence change. We provide guidance and information to help in planning a thriving & sustainable future.

In the case of affordable housing the Rural Housing Enabler (RHE) can act as an independent advisor providing impartial assistance in developing affordable and community led housing for people with a local connection and will work with and on behalf of rural communities to address the shortage of affordable homes within the Parish. The work undertaken involves identifying the local need for housing as a starting point, usually via a housing needs survey of every home in the Parish.

To contact our Rural Housing Enabler for a free, no obligation discussion, please email laura.atkinson@essexrcc.org.uk 

To listen to our Rural Housing Enabler discussing the service, click here.

Click here for an Introduction to the RHE Service

Latest News

ACRE, Action with Communities in Rural England, has been tasked with managing a new £2.5m programme of work funded by Defra until the end of March 2025 that aims to help rural communities secure small-scale, sensitively designed affordable housing schemes based on an assessment of local need.

The funding will support a network of Rural Housing Enablers across England; professionals attached to members of the ACRE Network who encourage communities to consider solutions for meeting affordable housing need locally, and broker relationships with planners, landowners, and developers to identify suitable sites for development.

RCCE are delighted to confirm we have been successful in our bid for RHE funding to expand and deliver our programme across Essex and are currently recruiting for a new RHE to join our successful Rural Housing Team. If you feel you or someone you know might be interested in applying for this role, do look at the information on our website to apply: Work with us (essexrcc.org.uk)

Resources

The National Housing Federation have just released a new Guide for Parish Councils and their Councillors, on Rural Affordable Housing which will be useful to review. This details an outline of the options and processes for delivering more quality affordable housing for local people within your parish

Landowners who are interested in supporting communities deliver rural affordable housing by releasing small pockets of land, please review this guide as a starting point.

Articles

Rural Affordable Housing Options from June 2020

ACRE Blog - Without affordable housing, rural communities are at risk of becoming lifeless, dormitory settlements 

Case Studies

Wimbish

Wickham Bishops

Roxwell

With affordable rural housing an issue that many villages are currently concerned about,  Parish Councillors are invited to contact Laura Atkinson, Rural Housing Enabler at RCCE on 01376 574330, or email laura.atkinson@essexrcc.org.uk if this is an issue in their village for support.

Recent Reports

  • Factors in the Effective Delivery of Rural Exception Sites in England. Feb 2024 Report
  • Sustainable Communities: The role of housing in strengthening the rural economy - 2022 cla.org.uk 
  • Affordable Rural Housing Commission – Final report – May 2006 www.defra.gov.uk
  • Commission for Rural Communities–Rural Housing – A Place in the Countryside? www.ruralcommunities.gov.uk
  • Joseph Rowntree Foundation – Homes for Rural Communities www.jrf.org.uk

Link to Partners

Defra (Rural Social and Community Programme)

Essex County Council

Braintree District Council

Chelmsford District Council

Colchester District Council

Tendring District Council

English Rural Housing Association

Hastoe Housing Association

Epping Forest District Council

Uttlesford District Council

Chelmer Housing Partnership Housing Association

Eastlight Community Homes Housing Association

Eastern Community Homes (CLH HUB)