Today, I’m pleased to announce the launch of our new report, “Unseen, Unhoused, Unacceptable: Housing First for Rural England“, which examines how Housing First approaches can be adapted to address the growing emergency of homelessness in our rural communities. The report comes as we gather key stakeholders for a virtual roundtable discussion exploring practical solutions to this often-overlooked challenge.
A Collaborative Approach to Rural Housing FirstThis groundbreaking project represents a partnership between English Rural Housing Association, Porchlight, Commonweal Housing, and Ashford Borough Council. By combining expertise in rural housing, homelessness support, social innovation and local government, we’ve been able to develop a comprehensive proposal for implementing Housing First in rural settings.
The partnership has conducted a detailed feasibility study in East Kent, demonstrating how Housing First can be adapted to meet the unique challenges of rural homelessness. This collaborative approach ensures that the solutions we propose are both practical and effective, drawing on the diverse expertise of all partners involved.
Housing First turns traditional homelessness approaches on their head. Instead of requiring people to prove they’re “housing ready”, it provides stable accommodation as the first step, followed by flexible, ongoing support to address other needs.
Our report details findings from the East Kent feasibility study that demonstrates how this internationally evidenced model can be adapted for rural settings. The study found that with just 8-12 homes and appropriate support staff, a Rural Housing First service could make a significant difference to those most in need.
One striking example from our research comes from Shelter Dorset, where Housing First enabled a person who had been living in woodland for four years to be properly housed. He had refused offers of temporary accommodation in nearby towns because it would have meant leaving his rural support network. Housing First allowed him to remain connected to his community while receiving the support he needed.
As one service manager told us: “Without Housing First, he would have been in the woods still“.
When we picture homelessness, our minds often conjure images of urban streets and city centres. Yet across England’s picturesque countryside, a hidden crisis is unfolding. Rural homelessness has increased by a staggering 40% over the past five years, with rough sleeping in rural areas rising by 24% in just one year between 2021 and 2022.
“Franc”
Research from the Universities of Kent and Southampton, published in their 2023 study “Homelessness in the Countryside: A Hidden Crisis“, revealed the true scale of this problem. The findings were stark: just 8% of homes in rural areas are affordable, compared to 17% in urban areas, leaving over 300,000 households languishing on social housing waiting lists.
Perhaps most alarming is that at the current rate of social housing delivery, it would take 89 years to clear the rural social housing waiting list backlog.
People experiencing homelessness in rural areas face unique challenges that traditional support models struggle to address:
▶️ Invisibility: Rather than sleeping in doorways, people may seek shelter in barns, woodland, or agricultural buildings
▶️ Isolation: Limited access to services, healthcare, and public transport
▶️ Stigma: Small community sizes can heighten shame and prevent people seeking help
▶️ Underfunding: Rural areas receive 65% less homelessness funding per capita than urban areas
Today’s roundtable, hosted by Ashford Borough Council’s Chief Executive, Tracey Kerly, brings together key stakeholders including local authority Chief Executives, Leaders and housing portfolio holders, homelessness organisations and rural advocacy groups to discuss practical next steps for implementing Housing First approaches in rural communities. The roundtable will be chaired by Brian Horton, Chair of Kent Housing Group.
The report makes two key recommendations:
✅ Government investment in rural Housing First provision – with multidisciplinary support teams and funding that accounts for the higher transport costs in rural areas
✅ A commitment to deliver genuinely affordable rural homes – through scaling up Rural Exception Sites, dedicated investment via the Homes England Affordable Homes Programme, and ongoing financial support for Rural Housing Enablers
International evidence supports this approach. Pathways Vermont in the US has run a rural Housing First programme since 2009, achieving an impressive 85% housing retention rate by adapting the model to rural needs.
The rural homelessness crisis demands urgent attention, but we now have evidence that Housing First offers a practical, proven solution that can be effectively adapted to rural settings.
By working together – housing associations, support providers, local authorities and government – we can ensure that people experiencing homelessness in rural areas receive the support they need, where they need it, rather than being expected to travel to urban centres.
Rural homelessness may often be hidden, but with the right approach, it need not be inevitable.
Download the full report ▶️ “Unseen, Unhoused, Unacceptable: Housing First for Rural England“
Read the original research: “Homelessness in the Countryside: A Hidden Crisis”
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