The housing charity Shelter is calling on councils throughout England to double council tax for second home owners on the back of its new report showing that homelessness is growing quicker in the countryside than in urban areas. The report is also calling for more affordable homes to be built in rural areas.

The charity said homelessness was now growing at a faster rate in rural areas than in towns and cities.

Second homes in England currently qualify for a council tax discount of between 10% and 50%, depending on the discretion of the local council.

Some councils, particularly in popular second home areas, have already reduced the discount on second homes but the charity said that ownership of second homes had increased by 15% over the last year, helping to push up rural house prices faster than urban ones and is calling for all councils to reduce the discount.

Shelter says the impact of second home ownership is being felt across rural Britain, with many areas being abandoned by local people unable to afford to live in the towns they grew up in. Many businesses are also being priced out, leaving communities that, the charity says, are in danger of becoming ghost towns.

Adam Sampson, Director of Shelter, said: "There is something wrong when thousands of second homes sit empty in the countryside while levels of homelessness rise dramatically. The combination of second home buyers and a failure to replace lost homes has pushed prices up to the point where families who have lived in a town or village for generations are forced to move away."

"Building many more affordable homes is the only genuine long-term solution to this problem. It's also crucial that council tax is doubled on second homes making them a far less desirable luxury."