The Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) report released earlier this week shows that average rural housing in Wales costs five times that of the average rural income.

The report calls for a huge increase in affordable housing supply in rural Wales and sets out a number of recommendations for how this might be achieved, including making better use of the existing stock and more joined up working between the Welsh Assembly and Local Authorities.

The assembly government has announced a range of measures to address the issue, including affordable housing targets for Welsh planning authorities, up to £5,000 to help first-time buyers with energy efficiency and expanding a network of rural officials to target need and available land.

Nerys Evans AM commented: "Plaid Cymru has long argued that the shortage of affordable housing to rent or buy is one of the biggest barriers to community cohesion. In the 2007 elections, Plaid Cymru proposed a number of measures to tackle this problem. We ensured that these ideas were incorporated into the One Wales agreement when we went into government.

"Today's announcements by the Plaid deputy Minister for housing, Jocelyn Davies, demonstrate her clear recognition of the problem facing our rural communities and the measures to tackle it. The measures that will be implemented by the Plaid-driven government will work to ensure a local and sustainable approach, and will contribute to making a difference to people living in our rural communities."

The Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) Cymru has also welcomed the new report by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation Commission on Rural Housing in Wales.

The report calls for a huge increase in affordable housing supply in rural Wales and sets out a number of recommendations for how this might be achieved, including making better use of the existing stock and more joined up working between the Welsh Assembly and Local Authorities.

Steve Long, director of CIH Cymru, gave his support to the recommendations: "Over the past few years, CIH Cymru has sought to highlight the housing challenges being faced by rural communities in Wales through our policy work and good practice briefings.

"We welcome this new report by JRF which provides a valuable addition to the evidence base on the scale of Wales' rural housing problems and support the recommendation for co-operation, coordination and strong leadership at a local and national level."

"We also see an important role for CIH Cymru in continuing its work with the housing sector to develop innovative and flexible responses to rural housing needs."

Kirsty Williams Welsh Liberal Democrat AM for Brecon and Radnorshire said: "It is concerning that the report finds that the shortage of housing in rural areas has been underestimated and inadequately monitored.

"It is equally worrying that if left unaddressed the here and now problem will have further devastating affects on the future survival of rural communities.

"The lack of affordable and social housing is pushing first time buyers and young people away from rural areas such as Powys. This in turn assists the erosion of local services such as schools and post offices along with reducing economic activity and shrinking the skilled work force.

"A number of Councils across Wales are already looking at rural exemption sites to increase affordable housing provisions, but more Councils need to follow this example.

"Homebuy is another a possible solution and yet the Welsh Assembly Government appears to be shunning this scheme, despite its proven ability to help first-time buyers get on the housing ladder.

"The Labour-Plaid Assembly Government also needs to increase the money given to councils and housing associations, so that they have more resources to build more housing.

"We need innovative ways of providing shared equity schemes to those priced out of the market.

"More ambitious thresholds could be set for developers to build a higher percentage of affordable local needs housing. Local Authority's Unitary Development Plans should include provisions for more affordable housing for local people, with land being allocated for this purpose.

"The government must also promote the development of Community Land Trusts, as seen in Llanbedr, Powys which is a shining example of what local communities can and are doing."