1. Outline the scope and key drivers of the current housing affordability crisis in rural England, and assess the effectiveness of planning, now and in the future, in addressing this crisis;
While much of recent discussions of housing affordability in England have been dominated by the rapidly increasing house prices in London, there is an arguably more acute housing affordability crisis in rural England. ‘Rural England’, characterized by Gallent as areas with fewer than 1000 inhabitants per 20 hectares (Gallent et al. 2003), has long had an undersupply of housing, particularly affordable housing, at the same time as a rising demand. This crisis is one in need of urgent repair as it continues to harm the rural communities in which it exists. Rural England faces a myriad of issues, including lack of skilled labour and lack of convenience in accessing necessities such as healthcare and food and retail stores. The rural housing affordability crisis in rural England is interlinked with the other issues it faces. The crisis is a complex and far-reaching issue with many past and present drivers and an irrefutable link to the planning system. This essay will first outline the scope and key drivers of this crisis and will then analyse and gauge the effectiveness of planning in addressing the issue.
Important in discussing the scope of the housing affordability crisis in rural England is taking into consideration housing affordability in England as a whole. A recent survey using ONS data shows that “since 2003 the average house price has gone up by £100,000, whereas the average annual salary has risen by just £6,570.” While this data includes non-rural England including London, “even removing London and the South East the average home h...
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... is vast; on house price to local income basis the affordability crisis affects rural England to a greater extent than urban England. The crisis is driven by a range of factors, including strict land-use policy and conservation groups in rural areas, high mortgage loans for rural housing introduced by lenders in the 1990s and early 2000s driving up house prices, and affluent second-home buyers in rural areas who often support strict land use policy. These factors all either increase demand or help to suppress supply, creating a supply-demand imbalance in rural England, driving up house prices and in this way making the crisis more severe. Recent changes in planning policy have made a start in trying to address the crisis, but more must be done, including trying to grow the rural economy sustainably and easing planning restrictions, for the crisis to be alleviated.
Britain is currently undergoing the biggest overhaul of the welfare system since its introduction. The welfare system was first established with the assurance that people less fortunate would be able to have a standard of living that would ensure equality. But the recent amendments brought into place by the current government’s legislations may see the biggest divide between rich and poor since the days of the work houses. How will claimants be affected and who will be affected the most is an issue that will be examined more closely. The current government believes that Britain has become a welfare dependant state and according to BBC news (2013) 2.49 million are currently unemployed; those who are unemployed will also have entitlement to housing benefit and council tax benefit. All claimants will be affected by what will be known as Universal Credits. Universal credits will combine all existing benefits in to one payment; the amount a household can claim in welfare will be capped, this new system could have a catastrophic impact on people’s lives. Furthermore the government does not believe that a person should have full housing benefit if the home in which they reside has extra bedrooms, so introduction of the Bedroom Tax was implemented April 2013. The National Housing Federation website has given a detailed description of who will be affected and the implications it may have on tenants. But already only three months in to the bedroom tax and it has been reported “more than fifty thousand people have fallen behind on their rent and face eviction” Independent (2013). This report is going to concentrate on the affects the aptly named Bedroom Tax is having on people’s ...
The biggest factor impacting Rural Australia has been the changes to the economic viability of primary production, one of the largest sources of income for Australia (Australian Government, 2008), affected by globalization, deregulation, privatisation and reduction/withdrawal of services, rising production costs, and ever present unpredictable environmental conditions (Australian Catholic Social Welfare Commission Secretariat, 2000).
Housing Affordability in Australia has become the focus point for urban planners in recent years. In particular, South East Queensland (SEQ) has experienced significant pressure as the demand for property and affordable dwellings increases and population growth in the region continues. The issue has come to the forefront in discussions for local governments in the region and there is a real need to address the problem of housing affordability. The subject of affordability is complex and is contributed to by a number of factors including the impost created by Council processes, which is the scope of the HAF-T5 Project.
Affordable housing refers to housing units that are affordable by that section of society whose income is or below the median household income. For example, affordable housing should address the housing needs of lower or middle income households. And for sustainable communities, it is one that is economically, environmentally, and socially healthy and resilient.. According to the Western Australia Council of Social Services (WACOSS): "Social sustainability occurs when the formal and informal processes; systems; structures; and relationships actively support the capacity of current and future generations to create healthy and livable communities.” As we can tell, all affordable housing, sustainable community, and social sustainability are
As the lease of my apartment is coming to an end it had me thinking of achieving my own American Dream of home ownership but as I do my research I find the dream is far from coming true. I am sure that the issue of housing prices and rent rates are what most of us Bay Area residents talk about and debate. It is an issue that needs to be addressed by the officials of the area, city mayors, affordable housing committees, social justice activists,lawmakers, and even employers. Skyrocketing prices, low inventory, and investors’ bidding wars are not only pushing the middle and lower classes out of San Francisco and the Bay Area out but will completely eliminate them.
Compare and contrast the ways in which housing inequalities are discussed from the perspectives of social policy and criminology, and economics (TMA 02)
Nevertheless, the previous researches were either focused on the role of affordable housing associating with residential stability or educational improvement for children and employment outcomes for the adults (Manturuk, 2012). Others also emphasized that affordable housing could contribute to community-wide economic development, both for troubled and vibrant communities (Lubell et al., 2007). In addition, even the past researches started to examine the impact difference from various categories ownerships versus; however, the subcate...
Housing affordability for first home buyers (FHB) in Australia has been broadly declining since the early 1980s. The latest data point to a fragmented outlook for the residential building industry. Two contrasting sub-groups of homeowners exist in Australia: outright buyers and mortgaged home owners with the FHB dominating the latter. Housing prices have however, remained tight, suggesting a lack of pricing freedom by suppliers with only the subbies on the negotiating table. Building disputes in the construction industry vary from small misunderstandings to full-blown fallouts. Both of which are damaging and a downright waste of time and money. The FHB has better things to do with their time.
Rural issues/Problems: The first problem that is seen in the rural population is poverty. . According to U.S. census Bureau app. Three quarter of America is classified as rural residents, in that three quarters 41 % of people in rural area live in poverty. Along with these rural inhabitants ages 20 to 39 reported higher levels of unemployment then those living in metropolitan’s areas during the first half of 2012 (Youth Today). These number show that as time goes on poverty will become more and more prevalent in that population. The main causes for poverty in the rural area is little to no income, high unemployment rates, less job opportunities, and lack of education( Poverty in Rural Areas). Some reason why poverty goes unnoticed in rural communities is it is not...
Around the turn of the millennium Ireland had a small housing stock, with the figure being the smallest in Europe. With income growing and the population increasing the EMU allowed Irish financial lenders to offer mortgages to customers ...
The concept of rural development has changed significantly during the last three decades. Until the 1970s, rural development was synonymous with
Carswell, G., 1997. Agricultural Intensification and Sustainable Rural Livelihoods: A Think Piece. IDS Working Paper 64, Brighton: IDS.
Trying to find a job in the countryside means facing the triple threat. The triple threat is a failing farm and factory-based economy, rising unemployment, and shrinking wages and benefits (Carr & Kefalas, 2009). Why would one want to stay in an area that has fewer jobs, less pay, and less benefits? This is a huge reason why so many individuals are leaving the rural area, there is nothing keeping them to stay. As stated earlier, there are many patterns we can see in terms who decides to leave the rural area and who decides to stay in the rural area. For those who tend to leave the rural area, do so for many reasons. Patterns show that most people are leaving for better paying jobs, benefits, more opportunities, and a better life style (Carr & Kefalas, 2009). Many of these people don’t believe there is a place for them to work if they are not interested in agriculture and or farming. Which in some cases is true, but it is becoming this way because all of these young educated people are leaving and no one is starting up new businesses that would provide more jobs for others. Another big pattern I see effecting people and families to leave the rural area is because of education for there children/child or their future children/child. Everyone wants their children/child to get an
This chapter further provided the research objectives, research questions, methodology of the study, the significance of the study and the outline of the dissertation. This layout is necessary as it provides the general overview of the entire dissertation. The next chapter discusses theories and reviews literature on housing supply, development and the relevance of stakeholders and their involvement in housing development.
Gurran N. & Fagan K, 2007) housing affordability is identified as housing that fullfill the needs of a range of low to moderate income households and priced so that the low and moderate incomes are able to meet their basic living cost. The term of affordability illustrates that many of the conceptual and measurement problems stem from questioned understandings of the problem. Housing affordability is defined as a link between housing and people. Housing affordability is a choice decision function, which made by a family between housing and non-housing expenditure that replicates on the balancing act in the household spending that might consider as very subjective (Mengjie.L, Reed,R & Wu, H,