Rural housing issues
Rural housing issuesNew homes are important for the broader sustainability of rural communities. However, people living in rural areas can face challenges in terms of housing supply and affordability. Cumberland’s rural, diverse landscape poses challenges for the housing market. Transport and other infrastructure issues are prevalent in rural areas.
The General Needs Housing Study identified that:
“Housing Association stakeholders are concerned with the lack of provision of affordable/social housing in rural villages. They also commented on a lack of infrastructure to support and sustain, particularly in rural areas.”
The study further noted that “Cumberland is a rural county with limited alternative modes of transport and a high dependency on road trave, and there is an evidenced need for affordable housing in rural parishes in all sub-areas”.
Second homes and holiday lets are prevalent in rural areas, which adds further pressure to the rural housing market.
Since 2019 to 2020, no homes have been provided on rural exception site in Cumberland, and affordable provision in smaller settlements has been limited, with only 91 new-build affordable homes across Cumberland.
Table 10: affordable new homes in settlements with a population of less than 3,000 people
| Year | Allerdale | Carlisle | Copeland | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 to 2020 | 4 | 16 | 0 | 20 |
| 2020 to 2021 | 0 | 33 | 0 | 32 |
| 2021 to 2022 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 to 2023 | 7 | 20 | 0 | 27 |
| 2023 to 2024 | 12 (Cumberland total) | 12 | ||