No More Excuses: What the new evidence means for affordable rural housing in Northumberland

6th May 2026

Affordable housing in rural Northumberland has long been shaped by a persistent narrative: that small scale rural schemes are too costly and too complex to manage effectively. A new report by English Rural, No More Excuses: Affordable Rural Housing Works, produced with Acuity Research & Practice, challenges that assumption with robust data drawn from across the sector.

For Community Action Northumberland and partners working across rural communities, the findings are not only encouraging but potentially transformative for how investment, policy and delivery are shaped in the years ahead.

What the research shows

The report tests one of the most persistent assumptions in housing policy: that managing affordable rural homes is too expensive to be worthwhile. Across 26 measures, the evidence shows that this is not the case.

Key findings include:

• 44% lower management costs than the wider sector (£469 vs £842 per home)
• 45% lower total cost per home (£4,291 vs £7,858)
• Operating margins almost double (30.6% vs 15.4%)
• 70% fewer Stage 1 complaints and 88% fewer at Stage 2
• 62% faster re-letting times (13.7 days vs 36.3 days)
• 87.6% tenant satisfaction compared with 79.6%
• 100% compliance with the Decent Homes Standard
• 12 statistically significant findings across the dataset, with rural provision performing strongly in every comparative test

Taken together, the findings directly challenge long-standing assumptions that rural housing is inherently less efficient or more costly to manage.

Why this matters for rural Northumberland

The implications for rural Northumberland are significant, particularly given the ongoing shortage of genuinely affordable homes in villages and smaller settlements.

Across rural England:

• 17% of the population lives in rural areas, but only 7% of new affordable homes are built there
• Over 306,000 people are on rural social housing waiting lists
• Every 10 affordable rural homes generate around £1.4 million in economic value, support 26 jobs and return approximately £250,000 to the Treasury

In Northumberland, these national pressures are clearly reflected locally. Many rural communities face long waiting lists, limited new supply and increasing difficulty for younger people and working households to remain in the places where they live and work.

The report strengthens the case that rural affordable housing is not a marginal or high-cost exception, but a high-performing part of the housing system when properly supported.

Implications for policy and practice

For Community Action Northumberland and partners, three clear implications emerge:

1. The investment case is stronger than assumed

Lower costs, faster turnaround times and higher tenant satisfaction demonstrate strong value for money in rural provision. This should be reflected in funding and investment decisions.

2. Rural housing should not be treated as higher risk by default

The data challenges assumptions that rural schemes are inherently more complex or inefficient. In many cases, they outperform wider sector benchmarks.

3. The gap between need and supply remains urgent

Despite clear demand, rural areas continue to receive a disproportionately small share of new affordable homes. Addressing this imbalance is essential for long-term community sustainability.

A message from our Chief Executive

Andy Dean, Chief Executive of Community Action Northumberland:
“At last we have an effective challenge to the persistent narrative that rural affordable housing costs too much. This research proves that isn’t the case – if a considered view is taken rather than a short-term ‘bang-for-your buck’ approach. At CAN, our Rural Housing Enabling service exists to support communities, housing providers, the local authority and developers to provide the essential affordable homes that rural Northumberland needs. Let’s hope this report leads to more small-scale schemes in more small communities to support a thriving countryside.”

A moment to shift the debate

The core message of No More Excuses is clear: the evidence no longer supports the idea that rural affordable housing is too costly or underperforms compared with urban delivery.

Instead, it shows a sector that is efficient, financially strong and delivering high levels of tenant satisfaction while meeting significant unmet need in rural communities.

For rural Northumberland, this creates a clear opportunity to reframe conversations with policymakers, funders and housing providers. The challenge now is not a lack of evidence but ensuring that evidence translates into delivery on the ground.

Community Action Northumberland will continue to work with partners across the county to use this research to strengthen the case for investment in rural affordable housing and to support thriving, sustainable rural communities.

Get in touch

Do you want to have your say on the issue of rural housing or would like to find out more about what Community Action Northumberland is doing to support residents?

Get in touch with our Rural Housing Enabler Vince Walsh at vincewalsh@ca-north.org.uk.