The Conservative Party has been accused of jeopardizing families’ housing security by proposing changes that would remove foreign nationals’ access to social housing. They argue that approximately 230,000 homes could become available if they implement their plan to restrict social housing benefits. Under this proposal, individuals in social housing who are not UK, Irish, or EU citizens would be required to vacate their homes, even if they have dependents.
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 by the proposed policy. Couples without UK or EU citizenship, and lacking EU settled status, would lose their entitlement to social housing. Tenants who do not meet the criteria outlined in the plan would be expected to find alternative housing within six months.
The Labour Party has criticized Kemi Badenoch, accusing her of adopting a strategy from Reform and failing to address the housing challenges created by her party’s governance. A Labour Party spokesperson dismissed the proposal as impractical and unoriginal, emphasizing that it would primarily impact refugees and long-term residents who have contributed to the UK but are not British citizens, including essential workers like NHS staff. The spokesperson raised concerns that the policy would increase the risk of homelessness for families and raise expenses for temporary accommodation, funded by taxpayers.
Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, previously advocated for evicting all foreign nationals from social housing, alleging discrimination against white citizens in Britain. Meanwhile, Andy Burnham highlighted the housing crisis in the UK and pledged to initiate the most extensive council house construction program since the post-war era.
According to the English Housing Survey, in 2024/25, 88.5% of primary householders in social homes were UK or Irish nationals, while 11.5% were non-UK/Irish nationals. An estimated 470,000 non-UK and non-Irish citizens currently reside in social housing.
