Feb 27 2007
We welcome yesterday’s publication of the findings of the independent review of social housing by Professor John Hills.
Rural communities just like others need a blend of social, intermediate and market housing, in order to support mixed and sustainable communities. In this context, we support the need for a re-assessment of the role of social housing in the 21st century and it is right that policy seeks to make sure that social tenants are not left behind by other asset owning members of society.
Where rural communities, particularly smaller villages and hamlets, do differ from towns and cities is that their stocks of social housing are significantly smaller. In addition, housing in many rural areas is unaffordable and completely inaccessible to would-be first time buyers.
Our research shows that, over the coming years, we can expect that some 45% of newly forming young rural households will not be able to access their local housing market . In the most desirable communities, where in-migration and second home ownership are at their most significant, this figure is worse still.
Margaret Clark, our Deputy Chief Executive, said:
“In rural communities two issues are key. The first is that policies are in place to ensure that social and intermediate housing stocks are retained and not absorbed into the market sector. This is recognised by Government in smaller rural communities through the existing exemption from Right to Acquire, but it also needs to be built into new measures to encourage homeownership among social tenants.
We support the development of more flexible tenures to help make it easier for people to move from social housing to the market sector, but this should not be at the expense of the needs of future generations.
The second important and more immediate issue is that the numbers of new affordable homes to be delivered in rural areas need to be dramatically increased. This will require a commitment to a significant increase in public funding for rural affordable housing from the Government’s Comprehensive Spending Review, as well as local and regional planning policies that give proper recognition to the level of rural housing needs.
But it is not just for government alone; there is more the private sector and local communities can do to make this happen. It is not a question of ‘concreting over the countryside: just a few new affordable homes in those villages where they are needed can make a real difference to its longer-term sustainability.
We welcome the debate begun by Professor Hills’ report and look forward to contributing a rural dimension to future social housing policy, as it is developed.”