Finances focus of Rural and Islands Housing Association Forum conference Financial problems facing people in rural areas are being discussed at a housing conference. It follows a report that households in more remote parts of Scotland need between 10% and 40% more income to achieve the same standard of living as people in urban areas of England. Higher fuel bills, travel costs and food prices eat into disposable income, research by Loughborough University suggested. The Rural and Islands Housing Association Forum is hosting the conference at Cameron House Hotel, by Loch Lomond, on Thursday and Friday. Di Alexander, who chairs the association, said: "Rural and island communities and their affordable rural housing providers are facing very serious challenges. With wages stagnant and benefits and tax credits being cut, there is an ever-increasing gap between incomes and the cost of living, putting real pressure on the money in people's pockets. On top of this, the latest evidence shows that households living in rural and remote Scotland have much lower disposable incomes to work with. This conference provides an opportunity for social landlords to highlight why rural and island communities need more better-quality homes which tenants can afford to rent and run. The homes provided must be built to the highest energy-saving standards if we are to tackle fuel poverty which is one of the main concerns for rural households.