Building a Collaborative Response to a Hidden Rural Crisis Rural affordable housing is one of the most significant yet overlooked challenges facing Herefordshire. Although housing need is often viewed as an urban issue, recent national research demonstrates that the need for affordable housing is higher in rural communities than in urban areas when assessed on a per-capita basis. Small rural parishes experience some of the highest levels of unmet need, while having access to

That reminds me exactly why I do this work. Last Friday I had the privilege of witnessing Avril Shaw, the driving force behind Larkrise Cohousing, sign the Section 106 agreement for their community-led housing scheme. It’s a moment more than a year in the making. Behind that signature sits an incredible amount of dedication, determination and collaboration. Architects, surveyors, planners, strategic housing officers, planning consultants, development consultants and many othe

Rural housing need in Herefordshire is often overshadowed by the larger numbers seen in market towns — but higher totals don’t mean greater need. In many villages, even a small shortage has a far deeper impact: young people are pushed out, local services struggle to survive, and businesses find it harder to recruit staff. With limited supply, high prices, and ageing homes, rural communities feel the strain most intensely. The real housing challenge lies in Herefordshire’s rur

The call to recognise affordable housing as infrastructure — made recently in Social Housing — is timely and compelling. Housing isn’t a luxury; it’s essential to economic growth, healthy communities and social stability. But too often the infrastructure framing focuses on cities and big towns, leaving rural communities at risk of being overlooked. That has to change. Rural affordable housing is infrastructure too — and the Rural Housing Enabler (RHE) programme shows how tr

Herefordshire faces a critical rural affordable housing shortage, and communities across the county are feeling the impact. Young people are forced to move away, older residents become isolated, and essential workers — carers, teachers, healthcare staff, farm workers — are travelling long distances because they cannot afford to live near where they work. This is holding back our economy, education, health, and community resilience. The Facts 1,957 households on the affordabl

The Herefordshire Rural Affordable Housing Steering Group is being established to develop holistic, practical, and sustainable solutions to the chalenge of affordable housing in Herefordshire’s rural communities. The Steering Group brings together key partners to collaborate, share expertise, and shape evidence-based recommendations for future policy and investment. To join pop over to the rural housing page and fill in the form here

Our event on Friday 5th December at NMITE. The event went extremely well, with thoughtful discussions and a wide range of ideas shared throughout the day. We are currently compiling the full notes from the session and will make these available on our website soon so all can see the ideas, concerns and opportunities that emerged. If you haven’t already signed up to the Steering Group, please consider joining. We welcome diverse perspectives as all will be extremely valuable as