NEWS

September 2026: Can you help us show the true need for Affordable Housing in Gloucestershire?

Affordable housing affects more people in Gloucestershire than many realise.

You might be a teaching assistant supporting children in your local school but unable to afford a home in the community where you work. You could be a nurse, a care worker helping older people remain independent, a farm worker supporting our rural economy, or a shop worker serving local customers every day, yet struggling to find somewhere affordable to live. Perhaps you're a young person still living with your parents because renting or buying a home feels out of reach. Maybe you're a recent graduate who wants to stay in Gloucestershire but cannot afford to put down roots here.

These situations are becoming increasingly common across the county. We hear these stories every day through our work with communities, but what is often harder to demonstrate is the true scale of affordable housing need across Gloucestershire. Many people facing housing challenges never appear in official statistics, meaning the full picture is often hidden.

That is why GRCC has launched a new countywide Affordable Housing Survey.

This is the first initiative of its kind in Gloucestershire. Rather than focusing on a single parish, town or district, the survey will help build an ongoing picture of affordable housing need right across the county. The information gathered will help us understand where housing pressures exist, who is affected and what types of homes people need. Most importantly, this will provide us with real-time evidence to help influence the provision of affordable housing in the county.

By gathering information directly from residents, we can ensure that discussions about housing are informed by the experiences of real people. The findings will help us work more effectively with local authorities, housing associations, parish and town councils and other partners who are committed to addressing housing challenges across Gloucestershire.

What the survey is and isn't

It is important to be clear about the purpose of this survey.

The survey is not a replacement for registering with HomeSeeker Plus. If you are looking for affordable or social housing, you should still register with HomeSeeker Plus in the normal way. Completing this survey will not place you on a housing register or improve your chances of securing a home.

It is also not a replacement for the detailed housing needs surveys carried out by GRCC's Rural Housing Enablers. Those parish and town-based surveys remain incredibly important and continue to provide detailed evidence about housing needs within individual communities. This county-wide survey complements that work by helping us understand the bigger picture across Gloucestershire.

It is equally important to stress that the survey is not linked to any proposed housing development, planning application or development plan. Taking part does not indicate support for any future scheme, nor is the information being collected to justify development in a particular location.

The purpose is simple: to help us better understand affordable housing need across Gloucestershire.

Why your response matters

Housing need is not always visible.

You may be living with your parents well into adulthood because there are no affordable housing options available to you. You may be sharing accommodation with others despite working full-time, because private rents are beyond your budget. You might be travelling long distances every day to get to work because you cannot afford to live in the town or village where your job is based.

For some people, housing pressures mean delaying plans to start a family. For others, it means remaining in overcrowded accommodation, living far from support networks, or watching children and grandchildren move away because they cannot find an affordable home nearby. Older residents looking to downsize may find there are few suitable homes available in the communities where they have lived for years.

These experiences have a real impact on individuals, families and communities. They affect local businesses trying to recruit staff, public services that rely on key workers and villages struggling to retain younger generations.

Yet many of these experiences never appear in housing registers or official statistics. By completing the survey, you can help us uncover these hidden pressures and build a clearer understanding of the challenges people are facing across Gloucestershire.

Every response counts. The more people who take part, the stronger the evidence becomes and the better informed conversations about affordable housing provision can be.

Affordable Housing matters to us all

Affordable housing is about much more than bricks and mortar.

It is about giving young people the opportunity to stay in the communities where they grew up. It is about enabling nurses, carers, teachers and other key workers to live close to the people they serve. It is about supporting local businesses to recruit and retain staff, helping families stay connected and ensuring that communities remain vibrant, diverse and sustainable.

Understanding the scale of housing need is the first step towards addressing it. The more accurate our evidence is, the stronger the case becomes for investment, support and action.

Have Your Say

If you are struggling to find a suitable home, cannot afford to move, are living with family because housing costs are too high, are commuting long distances because local housing is unaffordable, or are experiencing any other housing-related challenge, we want to hear from you.

The survey only takes a few minutes to complete, but the information you provide could make a real difference. By sharing your experience, you will be helping us create the clearest picture yet of affordable housing need across Gloucestershire and providing the real-time evidence needed to help influence future affordable housing provision in the county.

Complete the survey today and help ensure that the reality of housing need in Gloucestershire is recognised, understood and acted upon.

Take part in the survey here: https://online1.snapsurveys.com/GlosAffordableHousing 

December 2025: A Gloucestershire Affordable Housing good news story! First residents arriving soon at Whitehall Close, Berry Hill, Forest of Dean.

BBC News story about Hannah, a single mother with two children who was facing a Christmas eviction, and with our help found a new home at Whitehall Close