Affordable Rural Housing: A Royal Call to Action for Our Countryside

On 30 April 2025, at the historic Coram campus in London, policymakers, housing professionals, community advocates, and rural champions gathered for a landmark conference on one of the country’s most overlooked crises — the chronic shortage of affordable homes in the countryside. Titled “Affordable Rural Housing: Opportunity in Changing Times”, the event was jointly hosted by English Rural and ACRE (Action with Communities in Rural England), and featured a keynote address by HRH The Princess Royal, Patron of English Rural.

The conference offered a powerful mix of data, personal testimony, and clear-eyed policy debate, bringing rural voices to the forefront of a national conversation. Below is a summary of the key insights, moments, and messages from the day.

Opening the Door: HRH’s Endorsement of Rural Homes

HRH The Princess Royal’s address reminded all in attendance that rural housing is not a niche issue but a national one. Her remarks underscored the importance of vibrant countryside communities — not just for those who live there, but for the country as a whole. She praised the work of Rural Housing Enablers (RHEs) and the partnerships that have brought homes, opportunity and dignity to families across rural England.

The Challenge: Sobering Statistics and Stark Realities

Martin Collett, Chief Executive of English Rural, kicked off the conference with a scene-setting speech that laid bare the urgent state of rural housing:

• The average rural house price now stands at £418,400, against a rural average wage of just £25,600.
• Rural areas receive just 10% of all affordable homes built, despite housing 18% of the population.
• If we continue at the current pace, it would take over 150 years to meet rural housing demand.

The Economic Argument: Rural Housing as a Growth Engine

Rebecca Munro from Pragmatix Advisory delivered compelling evidence showing how affordable housing in rural areas can be a driver for national economic growth:

• A productivity boost worth up to £87 billion annually could be unlocked if rural areas matched urban productivity rates.
• Construction of ten affordable homes can generate £1.4 million in local economic value and support 26 jobs.

She also emphasised that rural economies are more than agriculture — encompassing tourism, hospitality, creative industries, and micro-enterprises.

A Life Transformed: Pauline’s Story

Perhaps the most powerful moment came from Pauline Rose, a resident in an English Rural home in Kent. Her moving story described how secure, affordable housing turned her family’s life around:

• From cold, insecure, rented flats and mounting debt…
• …to a warm, stable home near extended family, with lower bills, better job prospects, and a renewed sense of hope.

Pauline’s heartfelt words reminded the room why this work matters:

A Moral Imperative: The Bishop’s Reflection

Rt Revd Dr Helen-Ann Hartley, Bishop of Newcastle and President of the Rural Coalition, framed rural housing as a moral and spiritual issue:

She highlighted the church’s role in unlocking land, fostering partnerships, and pushing for a housing vision that upholds dignity, place, and community.

The Role of RHEs: Local Heroes Making It Happen

Laura Atkinson (Essex) and Vince Walsh (Northumberland) offered a frontline view of the Rural Housing Enabler programme, funded by Defra and coordinated nationally by ACRE.

Their role? Everything from:

• Running housing needs surveys,
• Mediating between landowners, councils and developers,
• Identifying viable sites,
• Supporting Community Land Trusts,
• And ensuring local voices lead decision-making.

But they also made a plea: RHEs need secure, long-term funding beyond 2026 to keep delivering life-changing results.

The Solutions: A Package of Measures to Unlock Progress

Jo Lavis (Rural Housing Solutions) and Avril Roberts (CLA) outlined a robust, actionable “package of measures” to help scale up affordable rural housing:

Key Proposals Included:

• Rural Exception Site Planning Passport – to speed up and de-risk small-scale development.
• Landowner Incentives – like Capital Gains Tax relief for land released for affordable homes.
• Consistent Planning Frameworks – to reduce barriers and standardise support across local authorities.
• Homes England Rural Uplift – higher funding allocations for rural schemes to reflect the additional cost and complexity.
• National Rural Housing Target – to hold delivery partners accountable.
• Continued RHE Programme Funding – to maintain the vital brokerage role RHEs play in turning ideas into homes.

Panel Reflections: From Frustration to Action

A closing panel discussion brought together leaders from across the sector. Highlights included:

• Roger Mortlock (CPRE) calling for stronger planning protections and a rural housing delivery target.
• Corinne Pluchino (ACRE) urging patience, persistence, and policy alignment.
• Rebecca Munro and Martin Collett making the case for embedding housing in broader economic and social policy frameworks.

The tone was pragmatic but optimistic — the pieces of the jigsaw are there. What’s needed is the political will to put them together.

Final Thoughts: From Debate to Delivery

As Chair Dame Fiona Reynolds summarised in her closing remarks:

There is no silver bullet. But with collaborative effort, government support, empowered communities, and a strong enabling infrastructure, a fairer, more vibrant countryside is within reach.