Homelessness rising in the UK and villagers priced out
5921 Min Read
The number of social homes being built in rural England has fallen by more than 80% in the last six years.
Exclusive research for Sky News has found just 1,309 social houses were built in rural areas in 2017-18, despite hundreds of thousands of people stuck on long waiting lists.
Official figures show the number of new homes built each year is higher in rural areas compared to urban areas – but the government says it is focusing efforts on building affordable rent homes rather than social housing.
Affordable rent homes tend to be let at 80% of market value, while social housing is rented at a much lower rate, and in many cases is the only option for those on low income.
The IPPR says one reason for the stark fall in social housing is that for developers, affordable classed homes can be more profitable.
The struggle to get on the housing ladder in predominantly rural England is tougher than in urban areas.
Last year, lower house prices were 8.8 times the average lower wage in rural areas, compared with 7.5 times in predominantly urban areas, excluding London.
A spokesperson from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government told Sky News: “Housing is a priority for this government and last year we built more homes overall than in all but one of the last 31 years.
