Call for Urgent Investment in Rural Housing as Crisis Grows

At Current Rates, Clearing Rural Social Housing Waiting Lists Would Take 89 Years.

A pioneering partnership between housing and homelessness organisations has launched a report to make the case to scale up Housing First approaches in rural communities, homelessness has risen by 40% over five years (in the five years leading up to 2023).

English Rural Housing Association, Porchlight and Commonweal Housing have joined forces to develop new Housing First solutions specifically designed for rural areas. The report comes as research shows rough sleeping in rural England increased by 24% in just one year between 2021 and 2022, highlighting the urgent need for intervention. At the current rate of social housing delivery, it would take 89 years to clear the rural social housing waiting list backlog.

The partnership aims to address the unique challenges of rural homelessness, where isolation, limited support services and transport barriers can make it particularly difficult for people to access help. Currently, just 8% of homes in rural areas are affordable, compared to 17% in urban areas, leaving over 300,000 households languishing on social housing waiting lists.

Housing First provides stable accommodation as an immediate response to homelessness while offering ongoing, flexible support to help people maintain their tenancy. While the model has proved highly successful in urban areas, its presence in rural communities remains extremely limited.

Martin Collett, Chief Executive of English Rural, said:

"Rural homelessness is a hidden crisis that demands urgent action. The current approach of expecting people in rural areas to travel long distances to access support in towns and cities simply isn't working. Housing First offers a proven solution that can be tailored to rural realities, providing both stable housing and flexible support where people need it.

The shame and stigma associated with homelessness in rural areas often prevents people from seeking help, while practical constraints reduce available support in isolated settings. We need a new approach that starts with affordable housing and builds support around it - that's why we're prepared to contribute some of our homes to this model, prioritising them for people who need them most."

Tom Neumark, Chief Executive at Porchlight, said:

"We see first-hand how the isolation of rural communities makes it particularly hard to escape and recover from homelessness. Housing First has already proven transformative in the few rural areas where it operates. One person we supported had been living in woodland for four years because the only alternative was temporary accommodation miles away from his support network.

Housing First enabled him to stay in his community while receiving the support he needed to rebuild his life. If the support is there, we want to work with housing associations like English Rural to expand this offer beyond urban areas.”

The partnership has already conducted a feasibility study in East Kent that shows the model is ready to be implemented. The study identified that 8-12 Housing First homes would be viable across Ashford, Dover, Folkestone and Hythe, and Swale, with English Rural able to provide four properties from their existing stock in rural communities.

The study highlighted how this approach would particularly benefit individuals for whom housing in towns is inappropriate or unsafe, providing them with stable accommodation near their existing support networks.

Ashley Horsey, Chief Executive of Commonweal Housing, said:

"The evidence is clear that new approaches are urgently needed, particularly for people with complex needs. Yet access to schemes like Housing First in rural areas remains extremely limited. This partnership brings together expertise in rural housing, homelessness support and social innovation to change that, and Commonweal is proud to have provided support to the initiative. By developing Housing First solutions specifically for rural communities, we can help end the cycle of homelessness."

The partnership is calling for:

• Investment from government in a new tranche of rural Housing First provision
• A commitment to deliver genuinely affordable homes in rural communities through scaled-up Rural Exception Sites
• Dedicated investment via the Homes England Affordable Homes Programme
• Ongoing financial support for Rural Housing Enablers

With rough sleeping on the rise and waiting lists growing, the partners emphasise that these changes are needed now to prevent the rural homelessness crisis from worsening further.

Read the report in full here.

On 9th April, key stakeholders met at a roundtable to discuss the findings of the report and share experiences from the ground. Professor Helen Carr presented research highlighting the invisibility of rural homelessness, describing it as "a crisis exacerbated by stigma and isolation which actively prevent people from accessing support."

Tom Neumark from Porchlight emphasised that "Housing First achieves exceptional tenancy sustainment rates when properly resourced, making it particularly valuable for rural communities where alternative options are limited." He stressed the importance of coordinated multidisciplinary teams to ensure effective support in dispersed rural settings.

Martin Collett from English Rural pointed to the structural drivers of the crisis, noting that "the shortage of affordable rural homes due to limited supply and high prices from commuter demand is causing profound societal damage." He highlighted how small-scale housing projects in villages had already demonstrated success in reducing homelessness by allowing people to remain within their existing support networks.

Main Takeaways from the roundtable were:

1. Rural Homelessness Research:

• Rising levels of homelessness in rural areas, with significant challenges such as insufficient resources, stigma, and isolation.

2. Housing First Approach:

• The Housing First model is effective in providing stable homes and flexible support for individuals experiencing homelessness, particularly in rural settings.

3. Feasibility Study Findings:

• The East Kent Rural Housing First feasibility study confirmed the need for a rural housing first solution and its feasibility with adequate resources and support.

4. Challenges and Recommendations:

• Key challenges include securing revenue funding, acquiring suitable properties, and engaging parish councils. Recommendations include strengthening partnerships, advocating for policy changes, and scaling up affordable housing.

5. Community and Data Engagement:

• Emphasis on the importance of community support, effective messaging to parish councils, and using data to identify housing needs and allocate resources effectively.

6. Next Steps:

• Focus on securing funding, engaging local authorities and communities, and leveraging the findings to advocate for national policy changes to support rural housing initiatives.

Banner & Tile Images Credit: Centre for Homelessness Impact / Jeff Hubbard