Industry news


Idyllic images of rolling hills, countryside pursuits and village life can mask significant experiences of inequality and deprivation which rural communities are vulnerable to


• From 2010 to 2016, mainly rural local authorities recorded a rise from 191 to 252 rough sleepers – an increase of 32 per cent. In largely rural areas there has been a leap of 52 per cent.


Sue Chalkley, chief executive of Hastoe Group,


Growing problem of homelessness in rural communities


T


he largely hidden problem of homelessness in rural villages and market towns has been revealed in a new report


highlighting an increase in numbers affected coupled with a shortage of emergency and temporary accommodation. Rates of homelessness are increasing across


England, but the focus of resources is on our cities and urban areas. The peculiarities of rural areas can make delivering services to prevent and relieve homelessness particularly difficult. A new report published by the Institute for


Public Policy Research (IPPR) has found 91 mainly rural councils recorded a 42 per cent rise in rough sleeping between 2010 and 2016, according to analysis of official data. The report says the causes of homelessness are


similar in rural and urban areas, but prevention work was especially difficult outside of towns and cities due to a lack of emergency and temporary accommodation. It also claimed lower levels of affordable housing and high numbers of second or holiday homes in rural communities posed “particular challenges”.


HIDDEN The IPPR are urging the Government to update its homelessness strategy to include countryside- specific guidance after 6,270 rural households became homeless in 2015/16.


Charlotte Snelling, research fellow at IPPR, said: “Many people see homelessness and rough sleeping as a problem which only affects England’s big cities. However, our research shows that it is a real problem in rural areas too. “It is often hidden with people forced to bed


down in in outhouses, barns, tents and parked cars. However, this isn’t something we simply have to accept: building more affordable homes alongside putting in the right support from government would do much to tackle this issue.” The IPPR said local authorities should try to


strike devolution deals with the Government to allow those with ambitious affordable housing targets to be given extra powers to help achieve their aims.


SOLUTIONS Among the report’s findings:


• In 2015/16, 6,270 households were accepted as homeless in England’s 91 mainly and largely rural local authorities;


• In 16 of these predominantly rural LAs, at least two in every 1,000 households was accepted as homeless;


• In 2015/16, mainly and largely rural areas in England reported making 12,977 decisions on homelessness approaches – 11 per cent of local authority decisions, nationally; and


10 | HMM September 2017 | www.housingmmonline.co.uk


which supported the research, said: “It is clear from this report that homelessness manifests differently across the country and solutions used to tackle it in urban areas may not be the right approach for those in our rural towns and villages.” Idyllic images of rolling hills, countryside


pursuits and village life can mask significant experiences of inequality and deprivation which rural communities are vulnerable to. Homelessness, traditionally seen as an urban street phenomenon, is notably absent in people’s understanding of rural life. The research found that central to addressing


homelessness in rural areas will be making sure rural housing markets work for their resident populations by providing affordable accommodation across a range of tenures and types of home. For homelessness itself, the research starts to


identify a number of things that could be pursued now, ranging from new rural-specific homelessness strategies to new models of partnership working, from improved monitoring and reporting to community-based service delivery options.


CAMPAIGN Meanwhile, a group of 12 campaign organisations and associations have warned rural areas could become “enclaves of the affluent” unless there is a meaningful increase in the number of affordable homes outside of towns and cities. The Rural Coalition, a lobbying group that


includes the National Housing Federation, the Campaign to Protect Rural England and the Royal Town Planning Institute, called on the Government to introduce an “ambitious annual target” for new affordable homes in rural areas. It also called for a dedicated rural affordable


housing funding programme. Just 8 per cent of homes in rural areas are


affordable, compared with nearly 20 per cent in cities and towns.


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