Executive summary

This report is the product of two meetings held by the Rural Economy Research Group (RERG) in November 2023 and February 2024 in the House of Lords. The purpose of these meetings was to gather evidence from leading housing experts, academics, and Parliamentarians on the challenges of rural housing. Evidence was gathered with the aim of producing recommendations to political parties on what evidence exists and what solutions there are.

This report concludes that an overhaul of existing legislation is vital to solving the crisis in rural housing provision. By addressing the existing flaws in legislation and offering tangible solutions, this report offers a chance for policymakers to help those living in rural communities to thrive.