The Rye Housing Needs Survey 2023, commissioned by Rye Town Council, aimed to assess the need for affordable housing within Rye. It revealed a significant demand for affordable housing, with 123 households identified as needing housing due to the inadequacy of their current homes and their inability to afford to rent or purchase suitable property on the open market.
Key findings highlighted a clear affordability gap. The income required to purchase an entry-level one-bedroom property is £42,429 annually, and £27,000 to rent privately. This is significantly higher than the median gross income in Rother District of £22,401. Over half of local wage earners face affordability challenges. The survey showed 92% of the respondents support developing affordable housing for local people, and 64% would prefer delivery through a local community organisation. Respondents made suggestions for potential sites, with “Tilling Green” and “Old School” being most commonly mentioned.
The most prominent reasons for seeking new housing included setting up an independent home (35%), unaffordable current rent / mortgage (13%), and the need for a larger home (15%). 48% of those in need require one-bedroom accommodation, and 78% need to move within two years. Additionally, 33 households were identified as seeking market priced housing but did not qualify for affordable housing. Most could afford private ownership or shared ownership schemes.
The survey demonstrates a pressing need for affordable housing in Rye, especially for low-income families and individuals, and highlights strong community support for locally managed housing solutions. While this analysis is now 2 years old, the current submission of plans for several housing developments across Rye brings the study into focus as planners decide on the type of housing that is required in our town, and how much should be “affordable”.
But what does affordable mean? Some try and simply define it as around 80% of “market” price, but that hides a more complex picture. In the UK, affordable housing refers to housing provided at a cost lower than the market rate to ensure it is accessible to individuals and families who cannot afford to rent or buy on the open market. It typically includes social housing (rented at around 50% of market rates), affordable rented housing (at up to 80% of market rates), shared ownership (part-buy, part-rent schemes), and First Homes (discounted homes for first-time buyers). Affordable housing is primarily delivered through local authorities, housing associations, or community-led initiatives and is aimed at supporting low-income households, key workers, and those with a local connection to the area. It is governed by the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), which defines affordable housing and sets the criteria for eligibility and allocation, ensuring housing remains accessible for those most in need.
This would seem to indicate that, if we are to have real affordable housing in Rye, then any large development will need a housing association, or something similar, to be involved.
As our Town Council and Rother Planners assess the multiple planning applications that have, or will be, submitted in 2025, will they take the Survey into account and ensure that a significant proportion of “real” affordable housing is made available? Steps also need to be taken to ensure that properties, especially those identified for social rents or shared ownership, do not end up in the holiday rental market.
We really need an integrated housing plan for Rye, which should underpin whether planning permission for housing developments will be granted, or not. The Neighbourhood Plan is an excellent reference document to back up this process and suggests adhering to national guidelines of 30% of housing built being affordable, but shouldn’t we additionally specify targets for the various individual types of housing and related payment schemes that the community needs?
The need is there, and local support exists for social housing to be addressed as Rye develops for the future. Let’s hope the planning authorities develop a town plan and exert pressure on development plans to begin to meet this real need.
Image Credits: Peter Connock .
One would like to know ,what is the cost of the lowest value houses to be built on the site at New Road, Is there any chance of first time buyers being able to afford one .Probably NOT.
“income required to purchase an entry-level one-bedroom property is £42,429 annually” – not really making it ‘affordable’! I don’t earn that much and I consider myself to have a decently paid, full-time job.
100% Community owned housing rather than hybrid affordable housing, would definitely be more appropriate here. Ownership hybrids of such affordable developments are open to abuse when ground rents are inflated after purchase.