Foreign nationals living in social housing in England could be forced to find alternative accommodation within six months under a new proposal announced by the UK Conservative Party.
The Conservatives said the policy would also prevent foreign nationals from accessing new social housing tenancies if the party wins the next general election. According to the party, the changes could potentially make 228,144 homes available to British families currently facing long waits for social housing.
The proposal would affect certain groups differently. Single people who are neither UK, Irish nor EU citizens would lose their entitlement to social housing, even if they have children. Couples could also be affected if neither partner is a UK or Irish citizen, or an EU citizen with settled status.
However, EU citizens with settled status would not be subject to eviction under the proposed changes. They would also remain eligible for future social housing, alongside UK and Irish nationals. New EU citizens who do not have settled status would not qualify.
The Conservatives have framed the proposal as part of a wider response to England’s housing shortage and lengthy social housing waiting lists. The party accused the Labour government of having “lost control of immigration”, arguing that British families should not be left waiting for homes while foreign nationals occupy social housing.
Labour, however, rejected the proposal, describing it as an “unserious, unworkable proposal, copied from Reform” and arguing that it would do little to address the underlying housing crisis.
The announcement also places the Conservatives in a political debate already being pushed by Reform UK leader Nigel Farage. In June, Farage proposed that foreign national tenants should be given three months to secure private accommodation if Reform came to power, with possible deportation for those who failed to comply.
Under existing rules, some foreign nationals can qualify for social housing if they have settled status, refugee status or certain humanitarian protections. Asylum seekers are generally excluded, although exceptions can apply in circumstances such as domestic abuse.
Social housing, usually provided by councils or housing associations, offers tenants lower rents and greater security than much of the private rental market.
The Conservatives previously considered tighter restrictions in 2024, including a proposal that foreign nationals would have needed to live in the UK for 10 years before becoming eligible.
The latest announcement therefore represents a renewed push by the party to link immigration policy with access to scarce public housing, while intensifying an increasingly divisive political debate over who should qualify for social housing in England.
