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Affordable homes needed to protect rural communities, says NHF
Building more affordable housing in rural areas could prevent towns and villages across England from slipping into decline, the National Housing Federation (NHF) has said.
In its Rural Life Monitor report, published today, the NHF found that 52 schools away from urban centres have closed in the past five years, while around 81 countryside post offices have shut their doors.
And it said pubs in rural areas are closing at a rate of one a day, with more than 1,365 gone since March 2013.
The closures are due to ageing and dwindling populations in rural England caused by a lack of affordable new housing for young families and working-age people, the report claimed.
It added that the trend is set to continue as almost half of households in rural areas are expected to be aged 65 or over by 2039.
Housing is typically less affordable outside of urban areas, with the cheapest rural homes 8.3 times the income of average first-time buyers in 2016.
More than 40,000 new homes are needed in rural parts of the country each year.
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David Orr, chief executive of the NHF, said: “Make no mistake, rural life as we know it is disappearing fast. Families and young people wanting to settle, work and grow in rural England are being priced out of areas they’ve known all their lives.
“A lack of truly affordable housing is putting a huge strain on rural economies, populations and vital community services – schools are closing their doors forever to pupils, and pubs are serving their last ever orders to locals.”
The report includes case studies of small developments of affordable homes which have enabled schools, post offices and pubs to stay open.
Housing associations built more than 3,000 rural homes last year and started work on another 3,700.
The NHF has created a five-step plan to boost levels of affordable housing in rural communities.
