The Conservative Party has faced criticism for their proposal to remove foreign nationals’ access to social housing, potentially putting families at risk of homelessness. This plan aims to free up approximately 230,000 homes by restricting social housing entitlements. Under the proposed changes, individuals living in social housing who are not UK, Irish, or EU citizens would be required to vacate their homes, even if they have children.
Currently, foreign nationals with settled status, refugee status, or specific humanitarian protections are eligible for social housing. Those with EU settled status would not be affected. Couples where neither partner is a UK or EU citizen and lacks EU settled status would lose their housing entitlement. Tenants who do not meet the new criteria would be expected to find alternative housing within six months.
The Labour Party has criticized Kemi Badenoch for adopting policies from Reform UK without addressing the housing problems created by her party while in power. A Labour spokesperson dismissed the proposal as impractical and argued that it would mainly impact refugees and long-term UK residents who are not British citizens, including essential workers like NHS staff. They warned that the policy could increase homelessness rates and lead to higher taxpayer costs for temporary accommodations.
This announcement follows Nigel Farage’s previous statement that, if in power, Reform UK would evict all foreign nationals from social housing, alleging a discriminatory system favoring white individuals. Meanwhile, Andy Burnham has highlighted the housing crisis in the UK and pledged to initiate significant council house construction, the most extensive program since the post-war era.
Data from the English Housing Survey indicates that in 2024/25, 88.5% of primary householders in social housing were UK or Irish nationals, with the remaining 11.5% being non-UK/Irish nationals. It is estimated that there are around 470,000 non-UK and non-Irish citizens residing in social housing.