Government should invest £100 million into local councils to build more affordable homes for local people in tourist hotspots, according to a new report by Localis. The think tank argues that the housing market in rural areas is becoming increasingly strained due to an influx of second homes and short-term lets through platforms like Airbnb.
The study, entitled ‘Brightness on the edge of town: how Community Land Trusts can deliver affordable housing’, calls for the creation of a ten-year Community Land Trust (CLT) investment fund to provide more social rent homes in rural areas. It also recommends that future planning reforms redefine affordable housing, basing it on an income-focused approach so that councils can set the income for affordable housing in their area based on local economic and social circumstances.
Sandy Forsyth, Localis researcher and author of the report, said: “While there is much positive work being done to guard rural communities against the negative impacts of over-tourism and the highly pressured housing market in England and Wales, much more is needed. With the ongoing cost-of-living crisis more people than ever are in need of genuinely affordable options for housing. Community Land Trusts can provide enhanced community engagement in areas that are becoming increasingly diluted by massive tourist populations, supplying a more holistic, social benefit through the enactment of democratic decision-making and community ownership.”
Joe Fyans, Localis head of research, added: “The current definition of affordable housing does not deliver for rural communities, particularly in areas of high tourist activity. It is essential that future planning reforms redefine affordable housing, moving to an income-focused approach where councils have the ability to influence the income level defines affordable housing in their area, based on local circumstances.”
Cllr Kevin Bentley, Chairman of the Local Government Association’s People and Places Board, commented: “Affordable homes for local people are essential if we are to build on and maintain our vital tourism industry, particularly in rural areas where housing is even more at a premium. Giving councils greater freedoms and flexibilities to be able to build these homes, backed by adequate resources, as this report recommends would revitalise communities in our most popular destinations while safeguarding local jobs and services.”
Tom Chance, Chief Executive of the Community Land Trust Network, added: “More than one hundred communities are trying to build more affordable homes in tourist hotspots, and many are succeeding. Homes that are designed and owned locally, and truly affordable to local people, today and forever. This report shows how the government and councils could give Community Land Trusts a shot in the arm to counteract the risk of second home blight.”
Today, Localis has published a report calling for the government to invest £100 million into local councils to build more affordable homes for local people in tourist hotspots. The report, entitled ‘Brightness on the edge of town: how Community Land Trusts can deliver affordable housing’, argues that the housing market in rural areas is becoming increasingly strained due to an influx of second homes and short-term lets through platforms like Airbnb.
The think tank recommends that the government creates a ten-year Community Land Trust (CLT) investment fund to deliver more social rent homes in rural areas. It also proposes that future planning reforms redefine affordable housing, basing it on an income-focused approach so that councils can set the income for affordable housing in their area based on local economic and social circumstances.
Sandy Forsyth, Localis researcher and author of the report, said: “While there is much positive work being done to guard rural communities against the negative impacts of over-tourism and the highly pressured housing market in England and Wales, much more is needed. With the ongoing cost-of-living crisis more people than ever are in need of genuinely affordable options for housing. Community Land Trusts can provide enhanced community engagement in areas that are becoming increasingly diluted by massive tourist populations, supplying a more holistic, social benefit through the enactment of democratic decision-making and community ownership.”
Cllr Kevin Bentley, Chairman of the Local Government Association’s People and Places Board, commented: “Affordable homes for local people are essential if we are to build on and maintain our vital tourism industry, particularly in rural areas where housing is even more at a premium. Giving councils greater freedoms and flexibilities to be able to build these homes, backed by adequate resources, as this report recommends would revitalise communities in our most popular destinations while safeguarding local jobs and services.”
Localis has released a new report today, calling for the government to invest £100 million into local councils to build more affordable homes for local people in tourist hotspots. The study, entitled ‘Brightness on the edge of town: how Community Land Trusts can deliver affordable housing
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