University of Liverpool researchers have led a new report that aims to tackle England’s rural housing crisis.
The report was undertaken by housing experts Dr Tom Moore and Professor Richard Dunning at the University’s Department of Geography & Planning and Professor Nick Gallent and Dr Andrew Purves at UCL.
It identifies barriers to rural housing delivery as well as offering a new strategy for addressing the chronic shortage of affordable rural homes.
The research was commissioned by the grantmaking charity Longleigh Foundation in partnership with the University of Liverpool, UCL, Stonewater, and the Fusion21 Foundation.
Despite Government targets to build 1.5 million homes, rural areas remain largely excluded from strategic planning and investment. As a result, homelessness is rising, local economies are weakening, and young people and key workers are being pushed out of the communities they grew up in.
The new report draws on 21 expert interviews with housing providers, local planning authorities, community groups, and policy organisations.
Five systemic barriers to rural housing delivery are identified in the report—land acquisition, planning constraints, funding gaps, community resistance, and institutional fragmentation—and proposes a set of strategic reforms to overcome them.
The report proposes a set of strategic reforms to address the issues relating to rural housing.
These are:
Unlocking land
- Introduce a Community Right to Buy, modelled on Scotland’s Land Reform Act.
- Develop national landowner incentives, including tax relief for affordable housing.
Planning Reform
- Create a Rural Exception Site Planning Passport to streamline approval processes.
- Lower the 10-dwelling threshold to require affordable contributions from smaller rural schemes.
- Expand use of Section 106 agreements to fund off-site affordable homes.
- Invest in planning workforce capacity, including expanding eligibility for Level 7 planner apprenticeships.
Consistent and Targeted Funding
- Ensure annual monitoring of rural housing delivered with Established Mayoral Strategic Authorities, assessing rural housing delivery as a proportion of the overall housing units delivered and against housing need.
- Stabilise funding for Rural Housing Enablers, who act as essential local brokers.
- Reopen the Community Housing Fund to support pre-development for community-led projects.
Strategic Coordination
- Rural housing must reflect England’s diverse geographies and governance structures.
- A place-based, multi-faceted approach is critical—avoiding one-size-fits-all solutions and ensure rural housing is prioritised in devolution deals.
Dr Tom Moore, Senior Lecturer in Housing and Planning, University of Liverpool: “This research highlights the deep-rooted structural barriers that have hindered rural housing for decades. But it also offers real solutions. With the right reforms, consistent funding, and clear prioritisation, more rural housing can be built in partnership with communities. We were delighted to work on this project in collaboration with the Longleigh Foundation and hope that this work provides a foundation for Government action on rural housing.”
Aileen Edmunds, Chief Executive, Longleigh Foundation: “This research makes clear what many working in rural communities already know: delivering affordable homes in these areas is harder – but no less urgent. Yet rural housing has rarely been a central consideration in national policy, despite the scale of need. At Longleigh, we funded this research to help change that – because when truly affordable homes aren’t built in rural places, people are forced to leave the communities they call home, and the future of those communities is put at risk.”James Bradbury, Group Director of Growth and Development, Stonewater: “Stonewater is committed to rural housing because we’ve seen the impact it makes. But delivering is becoming harder. The report launched at our Loxwood site outlines the urgent reforms needed to turn intent into action.”
Alastair Smyth, Director of Policy and Research, National Housing Federation: “This research provides a clear national call to action. We need a rural strategy within the Affordable Homes Programme, smarter land and planning tools, and long-term support for the people who make rural housing happen.
Jo Hannan, Head of Fusion21 Foundation: “The Fusion21 Foundation is proud to support this important research as it aligns closely with our funding priorities around health and wellbeing, employment and skills, and financial inclusion and resilience. Whilst the challenges highlighted are complex, it is encouraging to see positive ways to potentially navigate the issues faced by our housing members and the communities they operate in.”
You can read the full report here: https://longleigh.org/unlocking-affordable-rural-housing-in-england-a-roadmap-for-change/