I READ with interest Tony Tierney's article (Young people being forced out by rising house prices, June 14). This problem is even more pronounced in the villages of North Yorkshire. The rural premium increases property prices even more and the loss of council houses, through the right to buy, coupled with the effect of holiday homes on the housing supply compounds the problem.

Unfortunately the term 'affordable housing' is often taken to mean subsidised rented housing, intended to target only those with the lowest incomes. Many people in rural areas can afford small mortgages and do not need or want subsidised rented housing, but with house prices and private rented properties out of their reach, rented association properties are often the only alternative.

A broader approach is needed to allow this group access to reasonably priced home ownership in the villages where they have always lived. Sensibly targeted and marketed shared ownership housing is a valuable form of housing for sale that offers opportunity to some of those earning reasonable incomes, but with no prospect of qualifying for a mortgage to meet local prices.

The Rural Housing Trust has worked in partnership with rural communities, housing associations and local authorities across North Yorkshire for 12 years, specialising in the provision of housing for local people with housing needs.

These schemes are small, often mixing rented housing with shared ownership, giving priority to local people when they are allocated. The decision on the number and type of properties built is made in direct relation to information collected from local surveys.

In order to respond to the growing but diverse needs in rural areas, everyone involved must work towards a much broader interpretation of "affordable" than has been permitted in the past.

Ann Tomlinson,

Project Co-ordinator,

The Rural Housing Trust,

Ousegate, Selby.