Farron questions Minister on affordable housing shortage

Local MP Tim Farron today questioned the Housing Minister Caroline Flint over the crippling lack of affordable housing available for rural areas. In constituencies such as Mr Farron's, where average house prices are around ten times the average wage - an eye-watering £210,000, first-time buyers find it almost impossible to get on the housing ladder.

Mr Farron also raised the issue of the government cutting funding for Rural Housing Enablers, who seek out suitable sites for affordable housing. Mr Farron's 'Home on the Farm' scheme could be brought to fruition partly by work of Rural Housing Enablers, and he suggested that Ms Flint could provide funding for a pilot project to allow Home on the Farm to become a reality in South Lakeland.

Speaking after DCLG Questions, Tim Farron said:

"Housing in rural areas is in critically short supply, and the Government is well short of targets in this area. Young people in areas like mine are really struggling to be able to make it onto the housing ladder.

"Projects like Home on the Farm, and Rural Housing Enablers would begin to address the shortage, but the Government is as yet not providing funding for either, I want to see this change."