Village life threatened due to lack of affordable housing

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by Kay Murchie

Research carried out by the National Housing Federation (NHF) has revealed that a lack of affordable housing in the countryside could result in a mass exodus.

The NHF suggests that over the next three years, over 100,000 young adults will leave the English countryside due to a “chronic shortage” in rural areas.

According to official figures, from 1998 to 2007, around 341,000 people between the ages of 24 to 35 left the English countryside.

An estimated 103,000 people, in this age group, will leave villages and market towns by 2012, according to the NHF.

In order to meet demand in rural areas, the NHF estimates that 100,000 new affordable homes need to be built over the next decade.

David Orr, NHF chief executive, said: “There’s a real danger that traditional village life will die out within a generation unless we can build more affordable homes for young people and stop what is fast becoming a mass exodus to cheaper, urban areas“.

According to Mr Orr, “rural England desperately needs young adults to support and contribute to their communities, but high house prices and a chronic shortage of affordable housing is threatening to turn our villages into family free zones.”

The lack of affordable housing was a major issue for East Dorset and West Somerset whereby 38.2% of the people aged 24-35 left those areas between 1998 and 2007.

Over the last five years, waiting lists for affordable homes have increased by around 40% in rural areas, due in part, to rising property prices driven by demand from commuters, retired people and second home buyers.