Rural Housing
The Rural Community Council of Essex (RCCE) have been assisting the Parish Council to develop affordable rural housing for local people.
East Mersea Parish Council would like to ensure that in the future those who wish to remain in the village will be able to do so. House prises in rural smaller communities make it difficult for those on modest incomes to continue or find somewhere to live in their village.
Affordable housing is deisgned to respond to the needs of that village. Other local villages have built small groups of homes that are for rent or shared ownership. These homes are allocated striclty to those with a strong local connection to the Parish, for example those who already live in the village, who have a close family member living in the village, a parent or sibling for example, or to those who work in the village. The right to buy is removed on rented properties and shared ownership is restricted to a maximum of 80% of the property. These measures ensure that the homes remain affordable for local residents in perpetuity.
The Parish Council with the RCCE conducted a Housing Needs Survey in October 2010 to establish whether there was a need for affordable housing for local people in East Mersea.
