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Commonweal Co-Produce Rural Housing First Study

Commonweal, along with English Rural and Porchlight, have published a timely report investigating the feasibility of Housing First responses in countryside settings.


Read the report here:



It comes as research shows general homelessness in rural England increased by 40% in the five years to 2023, highlighting the urgent need for intervention.


The partnership aims to address the unique challenges of rural homelessness, where isolation, limited support services and transport barriers can make it particularly difficult for people to access help. Currently, just 8% of homes in rural areas are affordable, compared to 17% in urban areas, leaving over 300,000 households languishing on social housing waiting lists.


Housing First provides stable accommodation as an immediate response to homelessness while offering ongoing, flexible support to help people maintain their tenancy. While the model has proved highly successful in urban areas, its presence in rural communities remains extremely limited.


The study highlighted how this approach would particularly benefit individuals for whom housing in towns is inappropriate or unsafe, providing them with stable accommodation near their existing support networks.


Whilst we should be wary of international comparative examples, the report highlights the promising example of Pathways Vermont in the US. They have run a rural Housing First programme since 2009, which was the first of its kind, and achieved a housing retention rate of 85%.


The service adjusted to reflect rural needs, which included: greater resourcing

for landlord liaison functions, and more time allocated to maintaining relationships; as well as flexibility on certain aspects of fidelity to the Housing First model, such as allowing a closer density of Housing First units.


Chris has been based in Shaftesbury for most of his life. Following the death of his father, he ended up sofa surfing and then living on the streets. He would like to get his plastering businesses going again, which is what he used to do with his dad. (Centre for Homelessness Impact)
Chris has been based in Shaftesbury for most of his life. Following the death of his father, he ended up sofa surfing and then living on the streets. He would like to get his plastering businesses going again, which is what he used to do with his dad. (Centre for Homelessness Impact)

It is clear that rural homelessness is a growing issue, made more concerning by the increased threat of isolation, distant support services, and the unseen nature of the problem in many cases. The partnership is calling for:


  • Investment from government in a new tranche of rural Housing First provision

  • A commitment to deliver genuinely affordable homes in rural communities through scaled-up Rural Exception Sites

  • Dedicated investment via the Homes England Affordable Homes Programme

  • Ongoing financial support for Rural Housing Enablers


 
 
 

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