Our rural partners

Rural Housing Alliance

The Rural Housing Alliance supports our members that own and manage homes in rural areas.

Rural housing associations are committed to working with local people in order to ensure high quality homes that benefit the whole community. The Alliance works to promote this ambition to rural local authorities and parish councils.

The Alliance helps to provide a single, clear and collective voice for housing associations’ lobbying and influencing on rural housing. Additionally, it enables housing associations to compare and learn from each other’s work in areas such as design and sustainability. The group meets every two months, and has regular engagement with representatives from key government departments. 

The Alliance is chaired by Kate Smith, Chief Executive of Connexus, and the vice chair is Chris Fawcett, Chief Executive, Eden Housing Association.

Rural Housing Network

The Rural Housing Network is a coalition of organisations dedicated to representing rural communities and advocating for the provision of affordable housing. Our objective is to be a collective and national voice on affordable housing delivery, advising Homes England and the Government on policy development and implementation. We facilitate dialogue between rural housing bodies and the government, monitor progress and evidence around rural housing needs, and act as a forum for rural proofing of policy.

The Network is chaired jointly by Martin Collett, Chief Executive, English Rural and Patrick Merton-Jones, External Affairs Manager, National Housing Federation.

Rural Coalition

The Rural Coalition believes that no-one should be unfairly disadvantaged simply because of geography and that every rural resident should have fair access to jobs, to housing and to basic services, whilst every rural business should have the opportunity to grow and prosper.

The Coalition comprises 12 national organisations who subscribe to a vision for a living and working countryside in England – the NHF represent our members on the group.