ABSTRACT
P. Downing and M. Dower are more cautious, economic depression and low rural wages that creates a housing affordability problem for rural households; they concede that competition for housing in small towns and villages can act to bid up prices. In comparison to the issue of house price inflation and direct competition between locals and second home seekers, other economic impacts appear far less controversial and perhaps even bland. The most comprehensive study of this particular economic impact was undertaken by the South West Economic Planning Council in 1975. In this particular analysis, C. B. Pyne argued that financial benefits from the second home phenomenon were visibly outweighing the costs although the economic up-side must be seen in the context of a significant socio-cultural down-side. The argument that the payment of rates on the part of second home owners benefits the full-time local population has been used by M. Shucksmith, C. J. Tuck and C. Bollom.
