A new Toolkit to help rural communities put affordable housing on the public agenda has just been published, with the help of research from the Countryside and Community Research Institute (CCRI).
Produced by English Rural and the National Housing Federation, the toolkit provides practical guidance for parish councils, community groups, rural councillors and housing advocates in England, to help them understand new strategic arrangements for planning and housing under devolution, and to advocate for affordable housing.
There is a real risk that rural areas could be overlooked for investment as devolution sees new strategic authorities take on greater responsibility for planning and housing. However, the need for affordable housing in the countryside remains urgent:
🏠 More than 300,000 people are on rural housing waiting lists
🏠 Rural house prices are 8.8 times local lower-quartile earnings
🏠 Rural homelessness has increased by 73% since 2018
To help rural communities make their voices heard, research by Demelza Jones, Katarina Kubikova and Honor Mackley-Ward at CCRI for The Rural Housing Network has been translated into this practical new resource.
The toolkit takes their research findings and turns them into clear, actionable steps to help rural communities engage effectively with the new strategic authorities that will shape housing provision in their areas for decades to come.
Download the toolkit from English Rural: https://englishrural.org.uk/rural-devolution-toolkit/
Learn more
Devolution offers a new opportunity to deliver affordable homes in rural England – CCRI study
Research from the Countryside and Community Research Institute (CCRI) shows how England’s devolution programme could unlock the delivery of affordable homes in rural communities – but only if rural priorities are built into local strategies and backed by national safeguards.
