Rural Housing Week: Affordable Homes essential for prosperity of rural communities

More than 500 affordable homes have been built for Dorset residents in the last financial year as we continue to respond to the significant and growing need for affordable housing.

In the year to March 2024, 508 new affordable homes were provided by locally active Housing Associations, otherwise known as Registered Providers.

The developments include rented and shared ownership homes and houses for essential local workers. These sites were built either by Housing Associations or acquired by the council in the year to March 2024.

These include:

North Dorset: Blandford Forum 64, Sturminster Newton 34, Shaftesbury 27

West Dorset: Dorchester 34, Bridport 28

East Dorset: - Wimborne and District 65, Verwood 18

South Dorset - Weymouth 34, Chickerell 31, Portland 15

Other affordable homes have been built in villages across the county, including Charminster, Drimpton, Fontmell Magna, Halstock, Lytchett Matravers and Puddletown.

In the next few months, a range of new sites will be completed., These include 50 houses at the former Royal Manor School on Portland, being built by Magna Housing; a second smaller rural exemption site at Maiden Newton in West Dorset and the East Boro site at Corfe Mullen in the east of the county.

Andrew Billany, Dorset Council Corporate Director for Housing, said: Our villages and rural communities need to have homes that are affordable for local people.  At Dorset Council, with our partner organisations, we work hard to make that happen.  Rural Housing week is a timely reminder of the commitment we have to increasing the number of affordable homes across all of the Dorset Council area.  An affordable and decent home is essential for Dorset people and families to live well and thrive.  This is true for our villages as well as our towns, so we are delighted to be supporting Rural Housing Week to promote that fact.”   

The council is also benefitting from having a Defra sponsored Rural Enabling Housing Officer for one day a week. Jacqui Cuff is working for Dorset Community Action (DCA), to help officers already working in the Housing Enabling & Delivery Team.  

As a UK Government Funded DEFRA project, being managed by Action with Communities in Rural England, it has been designed to help boost the supply of affordable housing in rural areas, by creating a national network of Rural Housing Enablers.

The 12-month initiative is a part of a strategy to mitigate the displacement of the rural working population and their families, caused by the increase in both house prices and rent costs.

Jacqui is getting to know as many rural communities as possible as well as forging the links already established between town and parish councils.

Jacqui said: "Twelve months isn’t long but I am determined to leave a healthy pipeline of opportunities. Now, is a good time for our villages to consider affordable housing. To sustain our rural community’s local people who want to stay, should be given the chance to do just that.  To help communities thrive and provide homes for future generations.

"It's great to be working with the team at Dorset Council, we're pulling our resources and expertise, and we share a common goal, to see more affordable homes in rural Dorset."

Most of the 508 affordable homes receive financial support from Homes England and are built by Housing Associations, such as Abri, Aster, East Boro, Hastoe, Magna, Sovereign and Stonewater.

Notes to Editors

For more information about Rural Housing Week - National Housing Federation - Rural Housing Week