Spotlight on Rural Housing - October 2024

A quarterly bulletin facilitated by your membership of the Rural Services Network and produced in partnership with the Rural Housing Alliance, highlighting a selection of current rural housing issues and opportunities


Unveiling hidden realities: New Images of Rural Homelessness

The Centre for Homelessness Impact (CHI) and the Rural Homelessness Counts Coalition, chaired by English Rural Housing Association, have partnered to create a collection of free, non-stigmatising images of people who are experiencing homelessness in rural areas to help challenge negative stereotypes.

When people think of homelessness, they often think of images of people in cities or urban areas. But that’s largely because rural homelessness can remain hidden, and those experiencing homelessness, isolated. From woodland camps to sofa surfing - rural homelessness can take many forms.

CHI and the Coalition spoke with people who had experienced homelessness in different locations and different forms across the country. People spoke of the challenges of rural homelessness, from inefficient transport links, to a lack of social housing.

The unique experiences reflected in this new collection show the real human faces of homelessness, helping to change the narrative and build empathy.

Rory Weal, Strategic Policy lead at English Rural, and Co-Chair of the Rural Homelessness Counts, coalition said:

"Often our perceptions of homelessness are based less on evidence, than on images and stories. These perceptions lead us to associate homelessness just with cities. But we know far too many people in rural communities are facing the injustice of having no place to call home. That's why we have been pleased to work on this collection, to demonstrate through images and stories that homelessness can happen anywhere. Homelessness is everyone's business, and tackling it requires action across all of our communities."

You can read more and take a look at the image library at this link.


Local residents add voices to supported housing campaign

Rural housing association Connexus recently supported the National Housing Federation's Starts at Home campaign by asking customers to share their experiences of supported housing. Adding their voices to the campaign were young people living at Ludlow Foyer in Shropshire, which provides accommodation and support for 18–25-year-olds. Local residents showed local MP Stuart Anderson around their homes, explaining first hand what life was like at the scheme. 

In the last 12 months, 34 young people have been supported by the foyer and given opportunities to learn new skills, either by taking up formal education courses or getting involved in centre-led projects. The training is individually tailored to each resident to enable them to become more independent, so that eventually they can take on a tenancy of their own.  

Research by the National Housing Federation found that if it were not for supported housing services, 41,000 more people would be homeless nationally. In total more that half a million people are supported to live independently by various organisations, including housing associations.  

Domonique Pugh, Deputy Younger Persons Services Manager, said: "Support services like the one at Ludlow Foyer provide a long-term safe, affordable place to live and opportunities to learn vital skills. We were delighted to support the National Housing Federation's campaign which calls for longer term government plans for funding when it comes to supported housing.

"The residents really enjoyed meeting Stuart, and showing him the work going on at the foyer. It's vital that young people are able to positively engage with politicians like this, and everyone involved got a lot from it."

For more information, contact [email protected]


Broadacres retrofit programme passes halfway stage

Broadacres is over halfway through a £5.3 million programme to improve the energy efficiency of hundreds of its older homes.

The installation of renewable energy technology such as solar panels and air-source heat pumps form part of the retrofit programme which will dramatically improve the energy efficiency of 400 homes across North Yorkshire, including Easingwold, Bedale, Northallerton and Ripon, and smaller rural communities such as Great Broughton, Osmotherley and Helperby.

Work has already been completed on 252 homes, which includes:

  • solar panels on 252 homes
  • air-source heat pumps in 22 homes
  • loft insulation in 98 homes
  • underfloor insulation in 10 homes
  • smart air bricks in 10 homes

Among those who recently had work completed on his home in Helperby, near Easingwold, is Ken Westerman. Mr Westerman’s home, which was built in the 1960s, has had solar panels fitted and an air-source heat pump installed, taking the property from an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of D to B. Mr Westerman says he is already noticing the benefits. “I am building up a credit because the solar panels help to heat the water and contribute towards the running of the heat pump, so this is saving electricity,” he explained.

“And through the tariff I have with my electricity supplier, any electricity I don’t use will be fed back into the National Grid and I will get a rebate for this as well.”

Mr Westerman has also praised Broadacres and contractor PH Jones for the process involved in retrofitting his home. “From the first meeting in the village hall when they explained what they were going to do, through to the installation process itself, the communication was absolutely brilliant,” he says.


Warm Homes Social Housing Fund wave 3 open

The Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund (WH:SHF) Wave 3 is now open for applications. It will close at midday on 25 November 2024.

The Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund will upgrade a significant amount of the social housing stock currently below Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) band C up to that standard. It will support the installation of energy performance measures in social homes in England, and help:

  • deliver warm, energy efficient homes
  • reduce carbon emissions
  • tackle fuel poverty
  • support green jobs
  • develop the retrofit sector
  • improve the comfort, health and well-being of social housing tenants

The Fund is open for applications to local authorities and social housing landlords. All the details are at this link.


Historic almshouse embraces new technology to achieve major energy efficiencies

Derbyshire Dales MP John Whitby cut the ribbon recently to celebrate a major refurbishment after 440 years for Wirksworth’s original Almshouse.

Last year the the Anthony Gell and Anthony Bunting Almshouse Charity was awarded a grant from Derbyshire Dales District Council not only to refurbish the property, but to achieve a real step change in the energy conservation of the building.

The work has been so successful that the CO2 emissions in each of the four flats has fallen from 5.5 tonnes per year to 0.5 tonnes per year, creating affordable housing fit for purpose for many more years to come.

In 1584, Anthony Gell of Hopton Hall, near Wirksworth, stipulated in his Will that his executor and brother Thomas Gell should “within a year and a half of my death bestow of the making and building of one Almshouse in the side of the Hannage near the new bridge the sum of £60”.

A landmark in Wirksworth down the centuries that followed, the Almshouse, despite some upgrade, had deteriorated significantly with age over the past 60 years.

Improving the fabric of the building presented a major challenge given that it is Grade 2 listed. Reducing the residents’ fuel bills and improving the quality of their accommodation was also an important consideration. To achieve this the very latest of technologies were employed in a sympathetic way.

An air source heat pump has been installed to heat the flats, via both underfloor heating and radiators, ensuring that the temperature in the flats is maintained at 21 degrees. This has been made possible by stripping all plasterwork back to brick and applying the latest technology in insulating plaster material. In addition, a full ventilation and heat extraction system and double-glazed windows have been installed to ensure a steady internal temperature is achieved.

Nigel Johns, chair, the Anthony Gell and Anthony Bunting Almshouse Charity, said: “This project has demonstrated that, with careful planning, an historic building can be refurbished in a way that delivers a considerable improvement in its energy efficiency, whilst not compromising the historic fabric of the building.

On behalf of the District Council, Director of Housing Rob Cogings said: “The Council is pleased to have worked in partnership with the Almshouse Charity to secure the long-term future of the four flats and significantly improve the energy efficiency of the homes. The Energy Performance Certificate for the flats has improved from a poor F rating to D.

“This is one of a number of schemes financed by the Council to support small community-based housing providers deliver much need homes for rent. It is great to see these historic homes given a new lease of life.”


Six affordable homes saved from market sale in Devon

Hastoe Housing Association has stepped in to save six new, high-quality, rural affordable homes from market sale. The homes built by Stevens Homes Ltd are part of a larger development intended for market sale.

Although the six homes had been earmarked for affordable housing at the planning stage, the original housing association that was going to take on the homes under a Section 106 agreement was not able to proceed due to market conditions.

Hastoe stepped in to save the homes from market sale and will now be able to offer the local community, in the rural village of Sheepwash in Devon, 4 much needed homes for social rent and 2 for shared ownership.

Ulrike Maccariello, Development Director at Hastoe, said: “Rural affordable housing allows local people to stay in their communities, where they grew up and can be close to family and friends. All too often local people are priced out of rural areas that are seen as highly-desirable places to live. Hastoe is thrilled to be able to ensure these homes will be lived in by local people who are in real need of housing in the area.”

You can read more about the scheme at this link.


Pioneering Affordable Rural Housing Scheme opens in Kent