A recent report by the National Housing Federation highlights the issues that villages across the country are facing due to lack of affordable housing and cuts in services.
The report explains how lack of investment in new affordable homes has led to the closure of schools, post offices and pubs as well as other key services.
As Devon is a predominantly rural area, the county has been hit particularly hard by these cuts with many local services and facilities disappearing over the last 5 years.
The report tracks changes across three key pillars of community life – pubs, post offices and schools – and demonstrates how building just a few affordable homes in rural settlements can help to keep these important services open.
Devon Communities Together works with the Devon Rural Housing Partnership to develop small schemes of affordable housing in rural villages across the county. These homes will remain affordable in perpetuity and are for local people who have a connection to the community. Many are built by Community Land Trusts which are organisations set up by members of the community to develop and manage the homes. The community then owns the homes, usually leasing them to a housing association and can use the ground rent paid by the housing association to fund community projects within the village.
Watch this item shown on BBC Countryfile which demonstrates what can be achieved by Community Land Trusts - click here
To speak with our Rural Housing Enablers please call 01392248919 or email sue@devoncommunities.org.uk