Through the Rural Thames Valley Partnership, Connecting Communities in Berkshire is leading research into market sale of affordable homes in the rural Thames Valley Area (Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire).

Aim of the research is:  To safeguard and improve the supply of rural affordable housing through a more transparent and accountable process for the disposal of Registered Provider rural affordable housing stock, and its replacement.

There is an acute shortage of affordable housing in rural parishes across England, and Berkshire parishes are no exception. This shortage is driven by a range of factors including population growth and the cost-of-living crisis, but it is exacerbated by the sales of our existing stock of rural affordable homes onto the open market by some Registered Housing Providers (RPs).

The scale and extent of market sales of such homes is clouded by issues such a lack of data on sales at a very local level, and poor communication between RPs and others with a stake in rural housing such as local authorities, parish councils and communities themselves.

Why does this matter?

While Rural Housing Enablers across the country are working with rural parishes to begin the journey to identify and meet affordable rural housing need, existing affordable homes are being put on the market in some of these very parishes.  We may not be able to get enough new affordable homes built in rural villages to match the rate at which they are being lost.

In addition, people in rural communities where there is a high affordable housing need may not feel confident to engage in the process of working towards a small affordable housing development, when they see their existing affordable homes being sold on the open market.

We are working hard to piece together a picture of the scale of the issue, and its impact on rural communities in the rural Thames Valley area. Our research will also look at what is happening elsewhere in England, with support from rural housing services in other regions, and our findings will inform a lager piece of research planned for 2026. 

We have been able to obtain some information on this issue from a range of sources, but key information about the history and location of sales, at a very local level, has not yet been obtained. This information is held by Registered Housing providers, who are not obliged to release this under the Freedom of Information Act (2000) act. Nevertheless, we have already started approaching the Registered Providers to request that they share this information with us

Housing stock replacements and new housing developments

Most people will be aware that Local Authorities are undertaking large house building initiatives, and some of these homes will be in rural areas and will be classed as affordable.  Currently, Registered Housing Providers are not obliged to reinvest income from sales of their rural stock back into those same communities, although this may sometimes happen. We need to know how Registered Housing Providers are using the money from rural sales and what this means for these rural communities now and in the future.

If you are aware of any sales of formerly affordable rented homes in a rural community you have a connection to in Berkshire, (or in Buckinghamshire or Oxfordshire), please tell us about this in a short survey form here. 

We have created an interactive map using data from the 2011 and 2024 census to show where affordable rented homes have been lost in the Rural Thames Valley Region. The map is a work in progress and is updated as new date becomes available. It can be viewed here.

It is important that this research is led by those working in the rural affordable housing sector and has the needs of rural communities at its heart. We are seeking funding to support this research. If you would like to know more, please contact Maria Kelly at maria.kelly@ccberks.org.uk and see our website for updates on the project.