Exploring the Impact of Devolution on Affordable Rural Housing

The delivery of affordable housing remains one of the most pressing challenges facing rural communities. In many parts of England, rural house prices continue to rise faster than wages, outpacing urban increases and making it increasingly difficult for local people to secure a home in their community. At the same time, the development of affordable housing in rural areas is often more complex and costly than in urban locations.

A new research study by the Countryside and Community Research Institute (CCRI), funded by the Rural Housing Network (RHN), will investigate how England’s evolving devolution agenda is shaping the delivery of affordable homes in rural areas. The project, which runs for seven months in 2025, aims to identify both risks and opportunities presented by current and proposed devolution arrangements.

The study will be led by Dr Demelza Jones, alongside researchers Dr Katarina Kubinakova and Honor Mackley-Ward. Their work will involve a review of existing evidence as well as case study interviews in counties at varying stages of devolution.

The research will focus on three key objectives:

1. Assessing the impact of devolution – examining how the delivery of affordable rural housing has been, or may be, affected by devolution processes.
2. Highlighting good practice – identifying models and examples where devolution has supported rural affordable housing provision.
3. Informing future advocacy – providing evidence-based recommendations that the RHN can use to promote devolution models that safeguard and enhance affordable housing delivery in small rural communities.

This work comes at a critical time, as new powers and responsibilities are devolved to local and regional authorities across England. The findings will inform future policy discussions and ensure that rural voices are considered in the shaping of devolution agreements.

Save the date: The National Rural Conference 2025 takes place online from 15–18 September. Dr Katarina Kubinakova will be presenting the initial findings of this research at the Rural Affordable Housing and Planning Session scheduled for Tuesday 16 September.