Environment, Food and Rural Affairs CommitteeWritten evidence submitted by Hastoe Housing Association

1. Hastoe welcomes the new approach of the RCPU and the focus on rural housing. We have found that this unit provides a specialist resource and understanding of rural issues that, if lost, would be difficult and costly to replace. It is the one part of government that really understands rural issues, in their broadest sense.

2. High quality evidence and research into rural issues, particularly rural housing, is vital in ensuring appropriate support is given to communities. The work of the RCPU has been at the forefront of this.

3. The RCPU has been effective in engaging with local communities and brings a direct voice to policy making. It is always difficult to ensure the voices of the hardest to reach are hard—this has been at least partially achieved.

4. New policies and funding streams should always be “rural proofed”. In terms of housing an external review of this could be achieved though, for example, the National Housing Federation who have experts in rural housing.

5. Rural advocacy remains an important role and increasingly rural economic and housing issues need to be addressed.

6. Grant funding for rural issues remains vital, to stimulate rural economies and to safeguard rural communities. Within housing, it is usually more difficult to achieve cross subsidy and other arrangements to reduce grant requirements. It is also important to recognise that we may be investing in communities which may not seem immediately viable—but will be following investment.

7. A new Rural Policy statement will be welcome. This should include an explicit recognition of the interwoven factors affecting rural communities, with a strong emphasis on the successful role of high quality, affordable, housing for local people.

8. It is very good to see that housing is a key stated priority for ministers.

August 2012