December 2025 – SUCCESSES! NEW AFFORDABLE HOMES AND MORE TO COME
As the year draws to end, we’re very proud of our work and the 31 completed affordable homes we have helped deliver over the past two years for people with strong connections to the four villages they are built in. Better still, there are a further 72 homes in the pipeline – a total of 103 homes across eleven villages. Providing good quality, secure and affordable homes for single people, couples and families and all the benefits they bring, to the people themselves and the wider rural communities they live in. See where they are here
October 2025 – Updated GUIDE TO DEVELOPING AFFORDABLE HOMES IN RURAL COMMUNITIES
This guide is a series of factsheets that has recently been updated by RACE and partners through the Kent Housing Group. It is for anyone involved in or wanting to know more about this important initiative. It can be found on our Resources page here
If your Parish Council or community group would like to talk to RACE about how we can work with you and other partners to provide secure affordable homes for people in your community, please do get in touch and we’d be very happy to meet with you. 
October 2025 – TENTERDEN HOUSING NEEDS SURVEY
RACE is working with Tenterden Town Council to undertake a housing needs survey. The purpose of the survey is to identify the need for affordable housing for people of all ages with connections to the area and for older residents including homeowners who want more suitable housing for their needs but to stay in their community. Local connection includes current and previous residence, employment, giving/receiving support to/from family members. The survey can be completed online using the QR code or at https://online1.snapsurveys.com/tent it is live until 3rd November. If you have a housing need please complete this important survey. Paper surveys are available.
September 2025 – 8 new affordable rented homes were officially opened by The Princess Royal in Bough Beech, Chiddingstone, Sevenoaks. The Princess Royal is the patron of English Rural Housing Association who developed the homes, which were delivered through a partnership of Chiddingstone Parish Council, Sevenoaks District Council, RACE and English Rural, each having a crucial role in making the homes a reality. Built on a rural exception site they provide secure and affordable homes for people with connections to the local area.
March 2025 – Tessa O’Sullivan, RACE’s project manager, participated in a learning experience for students from University College London’s Bartlett School of Planning. Hosted by English Rural Housing Association, the day featured discussions and presentations including Tessa’s contribution of sharing her experience on “The Function of Rural Housing Enablers and Rural Exception Sites.” Tessa shed light on the crucial role that rural housing enablers play in facilitating the development of affordable housing in rural areas. She explained how Rural Exception Sites are identified and utilised to address the housing needs of local communities, ensuring that affordable housing is accessible to those who need it most.
The students then visited an English Rural development site, and gained valuable knowledge of the pre-build and planning process. This allowed them to understand some of the complexities involved in developing affordable housing in rural areas from environmental concerns such as drainage and wildlife, to infrastructure considerations, including traffic management and site access.
2024 – the year in round-up: it’s been a busy year for RACE and, as we look ahead to 2025, we thought it was worth a look back at some of our achievements of the past 12 months.
- We’ve completed 14 local housing needs surveys in individual parishes across Kent – which have collectively identified a need for 224 affordable homes and 80 open market homes for older homeowners.
- We saw the completion of 10 affordable homes for local households at Carpenters Yard, Shepherdswell (Dover District) – representing Kent’s first ever community land trust (CLT) development. Our partnership with Shepherdswell CLT and English Rural Housing Association won a Special Recognition Award at the Kent Housing Group Excellence Awards.
- We held our own rural affordable housing event at Shepherdswell, and spoke at many other events, including numerous Parish Council meetings, to highlight our work.
- There are currently three local needs affordable housing schemes under construction in West Kingsdown, Chiddingstone and Seal by our partners English Rural Housing Association and West Kent Housing Association; these are due to complete next year and will provide much needed affordable homes for people with local connections. Evidence compiled from RACE’s relevant housing needs surveys has been used in the process leading to the building of these homes, along with assistance to find the land.
- From a Community Led Housing (CLH) perspective, we have continued to support CLH groups across Kent in their aims towards creating homes for their community.
With thanks to: our hosts – Kent Housing Group / our Steering Group – made up of housing professionals from local authorities and housing associations throughout Kent / Action with Communities in Rural England (ACRE) / Fran Baker at MPS Marketing Services / Jo Lavis / Ashford Borough Council, especially Steve & Tom, the Print Room Team /
July 2024: Our event to celebrate the completion of Kent’s very first affordable rent housing scheme created in partnership between a community land trust (CLT) and a housing association (see news story link below) went ahead on the 10th July. Around 40 housing professionals from across local authorities and parish councils gathered to learn how the CLT formed and drove the scheme forward, as well as hearing from one of the new residents about the huge positive impact it has made to her life.
July 2024: From small beginnings, and with a large dose of commitment and determination, the ten affordable rent homes created in a groundbreaking, first-of-its-kind partnership between the Shepherdswell Community Land Trust and English Rural Housing Association, with enabling from RACE and on land made available by the Church Commissioners are now fully tenanted by local people with a strong connection to the village! Read about it here: Rural housing: Scheme building affordable homes for local people – BBC News