subject: Rural homelessness increases by 25pc [print this page] Rural homelessness increases by 25pc Rural homelessness increases by 25pc
Landlords with buy to let insurance who are prepared to be flexible with their rents could consider investing in property in rural areas to help ease a growing homelessness crisis.
The number of people accepted as homeless in rural areas has rocketed by 25% in the past year because most homes are unaffordable.
Figures published by the National Housing Federation also reveal that homelessness in the countryside has increased at a faster rate than in urban areas, which recorded an 11% rise.
The Federation, which represents England's housing associations, said the problem could get even worse as the supply of affordable homes failed to keep up with huge waiting lists in rural areas.
A total of 7600 people (3044 households) were registered as homeless in rural areas in 2010. This was up from 6100 people (2431 households) the previous year, and was the first increase since 2007.
The Federation said the figures highlighted the fact homelessness was far from being a problem confined to towns and cities.
The number of new affordable homes built in rural areas has stalled with around 11,000 affordable homes completed in 2009/10 a marginal increase from the previous year.
Around 750,000 people are now on waiting lists for an affordable home in rural England, where the average price of a home is over 40,000 more than in towns and cities despite lower wages, according to the Commission for Rural Communities.
The Federation is calling on local authorities to draw up housing action plans which set out how they intend to meet local need in their area.
Federation chief executive David Orr said: "When most people think of the English countryside they don't normally associate it with homelessness. But our research shows that it is a problem that affects rural areas as well as urban places.
"The fact that rural homelessness has increased by 25% over the last year is alarming and serves as a timely reminder of the desperate need to build more affordable homes for those on lower incomes in villages and market towns.
"Each housing authority needs to work out the level of need in their rural wards and come up with an action plan to deliver affordable homes. The alternative is to let our villages and market towns slowly die off as local people are priced out of the countryside."
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