WIREDGOV

In July 2010 the CRC completed a short research based project exploring the provision of affordable rural housing through the use of Exception Sites, Section 106 Agreements, and local land trusts.   This report draws on the ‘ground level’ experience of delivery practitioners to inform how Section 106 Agreements, rural Exception Sites and Community Land Trusts might be made more effective in the delivery of affordable housing, especially in difficult economic circumstances.  The headline message from housing providers in rural areas is that there is a good and urgent case to consider how these instruments can be made to be more effective.

The Commission for Rural Communities (CRC) has welcomed the focus the Coalition Government placed on the need to address a lack of affordable housing.  In the recent Comprehensive Spending Review clear steps were set out to review The Department for Communities and Local Government (CLG) settlement to include:

• a programme to deliver up to 150,000 new affordable homes over the Spending Review period accompanied by major reforms
• reforming the council housing finance system so local authorities have greater control over their own finances, and can reinvest to meet local housing need
• reforming the planning system and introducing a New Homes Bonus to support economic growth and increase housing supply

The CRC has consistently evidenced the critical importance of affordable housing as part of more sustainable and successful rural communities. We offer these insights in this report to assist the efforts of the Coalition Government, Local Authorities, Housing Associations and local communities in bringing forward their plans for delivering locally appropriate housing solutions.

Read the Housing Vision Report