Rural Housing Week 2025

This week is Rural Housing Week 2025, an annual campaign led by the National Housing Federation to spotlight the vital role affordable housing plays in keeping rural communities vibrant, inclusive and sustainable.

The week comes at a crucial time for the housing sector, following significant government announcements including the new £39 billion Social and Affordable Homes Programme. These national policies present both opportunities and challenges for rural areas—and Rural Housing Week offers a chance to focus attention on what is needed to deliver for countryside communities.

Many rural areas continue to face a chronic shortage of genuinely affordable homes. House prices and rents are increasingly out of step with local wages, and waiting lists have grown faster in rural areas than in urban ones. At the same time, the planning system and housing investment programmes often fail to reflect rural realities—risking missed opportunities and unmet need.

Through our recently launched Delivering for All campaign, the Rural Services Network is calling for:

• A dedicated rural housing strategy;
• Investment in Rural Housing Enablers in every rural authority;
• A planning framework that enables affordable rural homes in the right places;
• And rural exemptions from policies—such as Right to Buy extensions—that could undermine affordable housing supply.

Kerry Booth, Chief Executive, Rural Services Network: "Everybody deserves the right to a warm, safe, affordable home—wherever they live. If we’re serious about unlocking opportunity and strengthening our rural communities, we must back that up with policies and investment that truly reflect rural needs. Our Delivering for All roadmap sets out how we can achieve that—by focusing on fairness, local insight and practical action. Rural Housing Week is a timely reminder that rural communities are not just places to protect—they are places to invest in. That means ensuring local people can afford to live and build their lives in the communities they call home".

Find out more and how to get involved in Rural Housing Week here