Affordable housing will be unlocked backed by a new package of
government funding announced today (Friday 10 November).
The £2.5m package will support a network of independent advisors
who will work with communities to develop affordable housing
schemes. The advisors will help identify suitable development
opportunities in communities, and support site owners and
community representatives to navigate the planning system and
create developments in rural areas that meet the needs of local
people.
The scheme, which is being delivered in conjunction with Action
with Communities in Rural England (ACRE), will help boost the
supply of new, affordable homes across England.
The first payments have been awarded to local partners in
Cambridgeshire and Northumberland, with other projects set to be
announced across England next year.
Rural Affairs Minister
said:
All too often people are unable to live near to the village where
they work or were brought up. We are making it a priority that
rural communities have access to the housing they
need.
Our support for rural housing advisors will help develop small
scale affordable housing schemes that fit in with the local area.
Together with our policies to improve transport, connectivity and
access to public services, this is another demonstration of our
commitment to unleash opportunity in rural areas.”
Richard Quallington, ACRE’s Executive Director,
said:
We’re thrilled to be delivering this programme for Defra. Many
people in rural communities understand there’s a need for much
more affordable housing but they are often opposed to unfettered
commercial developments that neither fit in with the area, nor
create homes that go to those who genuinely need
it.
The decision by the government to back Rural Housing Enablers is
hugely positive news as it will mean many more communities across
England can access independent support and advice to help them
appraise the need for affordable homes locally, navigate
complicated planning rules and work with more socially minded
developers to bring forward suitable schemes.”
The expansion of the Rural Housing Enablers scheme was first
announced by Defra in the ‘Unleashing
Rural Opportunity’ document earlier this summer, which sets
out plans to unlock growth and potential in rural
areas.
Other government measures supporting the provision of rural homes
for local people include the Rural Exception Sites policy, which
facilitates the development of small affordable housing sites in
rural areas, and the Affordable Homes Programme, which aims to
create high-quality homes and thriving places across
England.
This new funding is part of a number of measures being
implemented by the government to strengthen rural communities and
invigorate the rural economy, including Project Gigabit, which
aims to bring better internet access to rural areas, and Future
of Transport Rural Strategy to tackle isolation and increase
access to jobs in rural and remote areas.
This builds on the Government’s manifesto commitment to build 1
million homes over this Parliament. Reaching this target would
represent another important milestone in the Government’s
housebuilding strategy with over 2.2 million new homes delivered
since 2010, and millions of people being moved into home
ownership.
Notes to editors:
- To learn more about the Rural Housing Enablers scheme, visit
ACRE’s website: Action
with Communities in Rural England - ACRE
- In the first payments from the fund, £81,000 is being awarded
in Northumberland to Community Action Northumberland and a
payment of £93,000 is being made in Cambridgeshire to
Cambridgeshire ACRE. This will enable the creation of a new Rural
Housing Enabler scheme in Northumberland and the expansion of an
existing Rural Housing Enabler project in Cambridgeshire.
