What is a Rural Housing Enabler?

The term Rural Housing Enabler (RHE) comes up frequently in discussions about tackling the rural housing crisis—but what do they actually do?

Rural Housing Enablers are independent facilitators who work with rural communities to help bring forward small-scale affordable housing schemes that meet local need. They play a vital role behind the scenes, helping parish councils, landowners, housing associations, and local authorities navigate what can often be a long and complex process.

But they’re not planners, developers, or decision-makers. Their role is to act as a neutral broker—supporting the community to explore its options, understand housing needs, and find appropriate solutions.

What do they help with?

• Raising awareness: Helping communities, parish councils and stakeholders recognise the scale and nature of local housing need—especially where it's less visible or well understood.
• Understanding need: Supporting Housing Needs Surveys to assess the level and type of housing required locally.
• Finding suitable sites: Working with landowners, planners and councils to identify potential land for affordable housing, and assessing whether a scheme would be viable.
• Building partnerships: Acting as honest brokers between parish councils, housing associations, landowners, and planning authorities.
• Overcoming challenges: Helping to unlock common barriers—whether related to funding, planning, land access or community concerns—to ensure projects keep moving.
• Sharing good practice: Offering advice, showcasing success stories, and inspiring other communities to explore similar schemes.

Why does this matter?

Affordable homes are essential to the future of rural communities. Without them, young people and families are priced out, local workers have to move away, and village services can become unsustainable.

Rural Housing Enablers support developments that are community-led, small in scale, and sensitive to local character. They help ensure any new homes are designed around genuine local need—not developer priorities—and stay affordable in the long term.

But outcomes don’t happen overnight. From identifying need to getting planning permission and building the homes, it can take years. The work of a Rural Housing Enabler is long-term and based on building trust, collaboration and shared understanding.

Importantly:

• They are neutral: RHEs are not developers, nor are they employed to "push through" particular schemes. Their role is to support you, the community.
• They are not decision-makers: Planning decisions and housing allocations rest with local authorities and housing providers.
• They are there to help: Whether you’re a parish council, community group, or landowner, RHEs can guide you through the process.

Want to know more?

• Visit the Rural Housing Enabler Programme on the ACRE website
• Learn more about how RHEs work in practice via organisations like Community Action Norfolk and Community First Yorkshire
• Explore real examples of rural affordable housing delivery and the case for better RHE resourcing in Delivering Rural Affordable Housing: Turning a Will into a Way from English Rural

At the Rural Services Network, we regularly champion the role of Rural Housing Enablers because they make a real difference to the long-term sustainability of rural communities. If you think your area could benefit from their support—or you just want to understand more—do explore the links above or get in touch with us for signposting.

If rural housing and planning is of interest to you, join us for our session on Rural Affordable Housing & Planning on Tuesday 16 September 2025 (10:00–12:00), part of the National Rural Conference 2025. The session will feature a range of speakers, including Max Banfield, Rural Housing Enabler Programme Manager at ACRE.

Bookings are now open for RSN members – View the full programme here.