About the campaign

England’s countryside is in crisis. Housing in rural areas is more expensive than in cities and towns, and often way beyond the means of many local residents.

With many lower income earners and young people priced out of their home villages, we are concerned that rural England is becoming the preserve of the wealthy and the isolated elderly. That is why we are campaigning for more affordable rural housing.

• Read our short campaign briefing (PDF, opens in new window)

The Federation wants to halt this decline of rural England. Our three-step plan seeks to ensure that housing need is understood and dealt with at a local level, ensuring mixed, sustainable and working villages:

1. Every local authority puts in place a system to understand housing need in its rural wards (our short guide for local authorities explores different approaches).
    
2. It publishes an action plan to show how it will meet that need. 
    
3. To ensure the rural housing crisis is addressed not just now but also for future generations, steps one and two are refreshed every three years.

With rural housing the ultimate responsibility of the Government, we will also press the responsible ministers to ensure that local authorities can prioritise affordable housing.

A more detailed overview of the campaign and the issues facing rural communities can be read in Save our villages: A short guide for rural authorities (PDF, opens new window)

• See who is backing our campaign via the online supporter map
• Get involved and add your support
• Find out about our wider rural housing policy work in the Key Issues section.