The Conservative Party has faced criticism for a proposal that could jeopardize families’ housing security by removing foreign nationals’ eligibility for social housing. They argue that approximately 230,000 housing units would become available by restricting social housing entitlements to UK, Irish, and EU citizens only, potentially leading to the eviction of single non-UK, Irish, or EU citizen social housing residents, regardless of having children.
At present, foreign nationals with settled status, refugee status, or specific humanitarian protections can access social housing. However, under the proposed policy, couples without UK or EU citizenship and lacking EU settled status would lose their housing entitlement. Those who do not meet the new criteria would be required to vacate their homes within six months.
The Labour Party criticized Kemi Badenoch for adopting a policy from Reform UK without adequately addressing the housing crisis stemming from her party’s governance. They denounced the proposal as impractical and likely to impact refugees, long-term UK residents, including NHS workers, who have not obtained Indefinite Leave to Remain.
Labour emphasized that the plan could increase homelessness risks and drive up temporary accommodation costs funded by taxpayers. They urged the Tories to acknowledge their housing system failures and offer apologies rather than pursuing headline-grabbing measures. This controversy follows Nigel Farage’s previous statement that his party would evict all foreign nationals from social housing, alleging discrimination against white individuals in the UK.
Andy Burnham previously highlighted the housing crisis in the UK and promised a significant council house building initiative. According to the English Housing Survey, in 2024/25, 88.5% of primary householders in social housing 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.
