The Need for Rural Affordable Housing
HRH The Princess Royal opening Paddocks End in Hutton Rudby
High house prices in rural areas cause problems for local people on low and average incomes. Young people are leaving villages to find homes they can afford meaning local services and facilities, such as schools and shops, are under threat.
Providing good quality affordable housing in rural areas is a key priority in York, North Yorkshire & East Riding. This is a complex and often lengthy process and we have a team of Rural Housing Enablers (RHEs) to provide support and expertise for rural communities and partners. RHEs work to enable local people/workers on modest incomes to stay or return to their village. Developments of this kind can help villages to thrive.
The programme is led by the North & East Yorkshire Rural Housing Enabler Network, chaired by Councillor Richard Foster and reporting to the Housing Board. Its membership comprises Local Authorities, North Yorkshire County Council, National Park Authority, Homes England, the Country Land & Business Association and partner Housing Associations. It is funded by an innovative model which includes contributions from Local Authorities, Housing Associations and National Parks.
If you are a landowner who may be interested in offering your land for rural affordable housing we would like to hear from you. Please see our call for land leaflet or contact your rural housing enabler
BUMPER YEAR FOR NEW RURAL AFFORDABLE HOMES
A bumper crop of new rural affordable homes has been created in North and East Yorkshire – three times more than the target of 100.
A record 370 homes were completed in the 12 months to April – thanks to work by the North Yorkshire and East Riding Rural Housing Enablers and their housing association partners.
Of those 199 were for rent, 139 for shared ownership, 18 for discount market sale and 14 other types of affordable housing delivered.
As part of Rural Housing Week 2020, the success is being marked in the Rural Housing Network’s new annual report which features case studies on some of the new homes:
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Laurel Croft in Embsay Craven - two shared ownership homes within Craven District.
Laurel Croft in Embsay, Craven with two affordable homes. -
Hutton Cranswick, East Riding getting its first 10 new affordable homes in around 10 years with six homes for affordable rent and four homes for shared ownership.
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Helmsley, Ryedale was granted permission by the North York Moors National Park Authority for 60 homes on land owned by Duncombe Park Estate, which has provided 24 new affordable homes for rent and Discount Market Sale.
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Carlton Miniott & Huby, Hambleton Two rural exception sites providing a total of 19 homes for rent and shared ownership.
- Lealholm, Scarborough in the North York Moors National Park, a proposal for 12 homes plus a community play area and orchard is being drawn up following a feasibility funded through the Scarborough Borough Councils Community Housing Fund.
Councillor Richard Foster, of the North and East Yorkshire Rural Housing Enabler Network and the York, North Yorkshire and East Riding (YNYER) Housing Board said: “I am really encouraged to see such a large number of new rural affordable homes delivered this year by our housing association and local authority partners with the vital support of our Rural Housing Enablers.
Cllr Foster, Chair of the RHE Network invites HRH The Princess Royal to officially open the development from 2017
“This unique partnership provides additional support to rural communities and partners to provide high quality affordable homes to meet the needs of rural communities. We look forward to supporting more communities in the future.”
He said the work will continue with further funding for the North and East Yorkshire Rural Housing Enabler programme approved by the YNYER Housing Board in February 2020. The board works with key partners (seven councils, two National Parks, North Yorkshire County Council, the Local Enterprise Partnership and 18 Housing Associations) and rural communities to meet local housing needs to ensure that our rural communities and economies continue to thrive.
We have also featured within the Yorkshire Post following the publication of the end of year report highlighting our results and achievements over the past 12 months. You can view the article in full here.
For additional information relating to delivery of rural housing and rural housing week, you can visit one of the following websites.
