Tory plan to ban foreign nationals from social housing condemned as ‘divisive’

Plans to ban foreign nationals from social housing under a Conservative government have been condemned as “divisive”.

Under proposals revealed on Friday, the party said about 230,000 homes would become available if foreign nationals were prevented from accessing social housing.

Ending new tenancies for all foreign nationals, as well as current tenancies for couples where neither person is a UK, Irish or EU citizen with settled status, would free up an estimated 228,144 homes for British families, the party said.

Under the plans, tenants in England who do not qualify for the housing would be expected to move out of their homes within six months.

Foreign nationals with settled status, refugee status or specific humanitarian protections currently qualify for social housing. Asylum seekers are not eligible for social housing, unless in exceptional circumstances such as domestic abuse cases.

Labour described the plans as “an unserious, unworkable proposal, copied from Reform, that does nothing to tackle the housing crisis the Tories themselves created”.

Sarah Elliott, the chief executive of housing charity Shelter, said: “These divisive plans would brutally kick people out of their homes, including thousands of families and pensioners who have lived in them for decades. And let’s not forget that social tenants pay rent, which goes back to the public purse and into society.

“It is completely senseless to ruin people’s lives, drive up homelessness and put extreme pressure on councils. This policy does nothing to deliver new social homes, which is what we desperately need.”

The Royal College of Nursing said: “The worst thing in the world would be to cause serious housing worry for a workforce that keeps our services running, posing serious risk to patient care. Those advocating for them need to offer reassurances – and quickly – or explain why it is just that some of our most brilliant nursing staff may face housing insecurity.”

Under the plans, any single person currently living in social housing who is not a UK, Irish or EU citizen would lose their social housing. This includes those with children. Anyone with EU settled status would not be evicted.

For future tenancies, UK nationals and those with EU settled status would be eligible, however, any new EU citizens without settled status would not be. Couples, where neither of them is a UK or EU citizen and they do not have EU settled status, will lose their entitlement.

Helen Whately, the Conservative shadow work and pensions secretary, said: “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. The next Conservative government will make foreign nationals ineligible for social housing. Nearly 230,000 homes could go to British families.”

In 2024-25, 88.5% of main householders – the person in whose name the social home is rented – were UK or Irish nationals and 11.5% were non-UK/Irish nationals, according to the English Housing Survey.

There are an estimated 470,000 non-UK and non-Irish citizens living in social housing.

Reporting from The Guardian contributed to this story.