Reform, a political party in the United Kingdom, has declared its intention to prioritize British-born young workers for access to social housing. This policy proposal aims to address what the party describes as a need to provide homes for the younger generation.
Richard Tice, a figure associated with Reform, stated on Sunday that the policy is designed to "prioritize young British workers." He added that his background in property development would be leveraged to "break down the barriers" for young people seeking to enter the housing market. The party estimates that approximately 540,000 social homes are currently occupied by foreign nationals.
The proposal has drawn immediate criticism from various political groups and housing advocacy organizations. Labour has dismissed the plan as "unserious and unworkable," accusing Reform of promoting "gimmicks and division." A Labour spokesperson emphasized that eligibility for social housing is already strictly regulated, with illegal migrants, asylum seekers, and those on student or work visas not being entitled to such housing. Labour further argued that Reform's policy could negatively impact long-term UK residents who are not British citizens, potentially including essential workers like NHS staff, and could lead to increased homelessness and reliance on costly temporary accommodation.
The Conservative Party, which has also put forward plans to prioritize British nationals for social housing, accused Reform of attempting to emulate their policies. The Conservatives' proposal, which would permit Irish citizens and some EU nationals to retain social housing, is projected to free up around 230,000 homes. Sir James Cleverly, described as the shadow housing secretary, commented that the Conservatives have already established comprehensive plans for prioritizing British nationals in the social housing queue, implying Reform is now trying to catch up.
The Liberal Democrats have labeled Reform's plan as a "cruel gimmick."
According to the English Housing Survey, UK or Irish nationals constituted 88.5% of main social home householders in 2024/25. This indicates that about 11.5% of main householders were non-UK or Irish nationals.
Housing charity Shelter has previously stated that the solution to housing shortages lies in increasing the number of available homes, rather than altering queue priorities, which they argue could foster division.