The Conservatives have pledged to end access to social housing for foreign nationals in England if they return to power, arguing that the policy would free up more than 228,000 homes for British families currently waiting for accommodation.
Under the proposed changes, foreign nationals would be prevented from taking up new social housing tenancies, while some people already living in council or housing association properties would be required to leave.
According to the Conservatives, the measures would help address pressure on the social housing system and give greater priority to British citizens.
The party estimates that 228,144 homes could eventually be made available to British families under the proposals, as it seeks to make immigration and access to public services a central issue ahead of the next general election.
The Conservatives have accused the Labour government of failing to control immigration and argued that the pressure created by high migration has contributed to growing demand for limited social housing.
According to Helen Whately, the Conservative Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary access to public support should be linked to contribution to British society.
“Making Britain your home should be earned by working, paying tax and integrating. It should not come with a free ride on the benefits system. Britain cannot be a cash machine for the world. Labour has lost control of immigration and lost control of the welfare bill, and it is British families picking up the bill and sitting on waiting lists.”
Helen Whately,
Social housing, which is generally provided by local councils and housing associations, offers rents that are typically lower than those in the private sector while providing greater security of tenure. Demand for such accommodation has remained high, with government figures showing that 1.34 million households were on social housing waiting lists as of March 2025.
The Conservatives have sought to connect that pressure directly to immigration, presenting their proposal as a way of ensuring that scarce housing is prioritised for British families.
However, available government figures indicate that the overwhelming majority of new social housing lettings already go to UK nationals.
In 2024-25, 89% of lead tenants receiving new social lettings were UK nationals, representing about 233,000 tenants. Refugees accounted for 2.3% of new lettings, with approximately 4,700 refugees receiving social housing during the period. Of those, 800 were UK nationals and around 3,900 were non-UK nationals.
The Conservatives nevertheless argue that existing rules remain too permissive and have pointed to the number of households waiting for accommodation as evidence that the system needs to be fundamentally reformed.
Refugees and Long-Term Residents Face Potential Evictions Under Tory Plan
The proposed restrictions would apply both to existing tenants and people seeking social housing in the future.
Under the Conservatives’ plan, any single person currently living in social housing who is not a UK, Irish or EU citizen would lose their entitlement, including people with children. Couples would also be affected if neither partner is a UK or EU citizen and they do not have EU settled status.
People affected by the proposed changes would be expected to leave their social homes within six months.
The policy would also change eligibility for future social housing allocations. UK nationals and people with EU settled status would remain eligible, while new EU citizens without settled status would be excluded.
Currently, foreign nationals with settled status, refugee status or certain humanitarian protections can qualify for social housing if they meet the relevant requirements. Asylum seekers are generally not eligible, except in exceptional circumstances, including some cases involving domestic abuse.
Anyone with EU settled status would not be evicted under the Conservative proposal.
According to Housing Secretary Angela Rayner, the legislation would disproportionately impact refugees and those who have long resided in Britain and made significant contributions to the nation.
Additionally, she cautioned that evicting individuals from their homes would make homelessness worse.
“No amount of headline-chasing, or following Reform to the extremes, can hide the damage the Tories did to our housing system. This unserious, unworkable proposal, copied from Reform, would do nothing to tackle the housing crisis the Tories themselves created.”
Angela Rayner
The Conservatives’ proposal coincides with the growing political controversy surrounding immigration, with Reform UK advocating for considerably stricter limitations on foreign nationals’ access to public services.
Nigel Farage, the leader of Reform UK, suggested in June that if his party were to form a government, foreign nationals living in social housing would have to find private homes within three months or risk deportation.
The Conservative plan places the party in a more constrained position over access to publicly sponsored housing, but it is less immediate, giving impacted renters six months to vacate.
Reform UK has responded by accusing the Conservatives of merely imitating its approach while stopping short of its own proposed restrictions.
Zia Yusuf, Reform UK’s Home Affairs spokesperson, criticised the decision to exempt people with EU settled status.
“Incredibly, Kemi Badenoch’s new policy is to allow tens of thousands of foreign nationals from the EU to occupy British social housing funded by British taxpayers. Reform UK will ensure British social housing is strictly for British citizens.”
Zia Yusuf
The controversy has also drawn strong criticism from housing campaigners, who argue that the proposal risks turning a shortage of social housing into a debate about nationality rather than supply.
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