Housing shortage ‘critical’ in rural areas

Its Shortfall in Affordable Rural Housing report, published today, shows that among councils with responsibility for housing there will be an annual shortfall of 76 per cent, or 176,360 properties, in 2010-11.

The Countryside Alliance made an Freedom of Information request to all local authorities asking how many affordable homes were needed in their latest Housing Needs Surveys – and how many homes they planned to build in this 12-month period. Parts of Yorkshire are among those areas with the greatest shortages. According to the study, the East Riding of Yorkshire Council has 125 homes planned for 2010-11 set against an annual need of 1,400.

The report shows that rural housing remains less affordable than in urban areas and that average wages for people working in rural communities are £4,655 less than the national average.

It also reveals there are fewer first-time buyers in rural areas, accounting for 27 per cent of all buyers compared with 45 per cent in urban areas.

Countryside Alliance chief executive Alice Barnard said: “Even in the current difficult economic climate, meeting rural housing need must continue to be a priority for the Government, its agencies and local authorities.

“The Countryside Alliance’s research highlights that affordable housing provision is a huge challenge in both urban and rural areas.

“But if the rural need for affordable housing is not addressed, and urgently, many of those communities upon which our countryside depends will shrivel and die.”