The Devon Housing Commission – made up of Devon’s 11 local authorities and supported by the University of Exeter – was set up in the summer to “develop recommendations to start to address the shortage of appropriate homes, which is having an impact on people’s health and the economy”.
The Commission fears that the housing shortage has ‘severe consequences’ for Devon – and has written to Lord Richard Benyon, minister for rural affairs, to urge faster action on delivering more affordable homes for the county:
The commission told Lord Benyon that the average home in Devon costs more than 10 times the average income, rising to 28 times in some rural areas.Lord Richard Best, the commission’s chair, said: “The acute shortage of any accommodation to buy or rent for those on or below average earnings is having severe consequences. Apart from the hardship to families, it is deeply affecting the local economy. It is also leading to a dramatic increase in the need for temporary accommodation, with ever-rising costs to local authorities and a growing population living in insecure, unsatisfactory housing.”
The Commission is keen for Government to ensure more homes for local people by deploying the Defra “Rural Housing Enablers” policy in Devon to identify sites, work with landowners, liaise with councils and consult with the local community and parish councils,
Commissioners are hoping the forthcoming revisions to the National Planning Policy Framework will encourage more development for local people in Devon.