UK Conservatives Propose Banning Foreign Nationals From Social Housing

The UK Conservative Party has pledged to end social housing provisions for foreign nationals if they win the next election. This proposed policy aims to make approximately 228,144 homes available for British families by ending new tenancies for all foreign nationals and current tenancies for couples where neither partner is a UK, Irish, or EU citizen.

The Conservatives stated that the Labour party has lost control of immigration, leaving British families on housing waiting lists. The proposal echoes a suggestion made by Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, who previously proposed that foreign national tenants find private accommodation within three months or face possible deportation.

Under the Conservative plan, ineligible tenants would have six months to vacate their homes. This would affect single individuals living in social housing who are not UK, Irish, or EU citizens, regardless of whether they have children. Couples without UK or EU citizenship and without EU settled status would also lose their entitlement to social housing. Individuals with EU settled status would not be subject to eviction.

For future tenancies, UK nationals and those with EU settled status would remain eligible. However, new EU citizens without settled status would not qualify. Currently, foreign nationals with settled status, refugee status, or specific humanitarian protections can be eligible for social housing. Asylum seekers are generally not eligible, except in specific circumstances such as domestic abuse cases.

Social housing, typically offered by housing associations or local councils, provides more affordable and secure accommodation than private rentals. In the 2024-25 period, the majority of new social housing tenancies, 89%, were granted to UK nationals. Refugees accounted for 2.3% of new lettings, with Afghan and Ukrainian nationals being the most common nationalities among this group.

As of March 2025, there were 1.34 million households on social housing waiting lists in the UK. The Conservative Party has previously considered making a 10-year residency in the UK a requirement for foreign nationals to qualify for social housing, a policy they explored when last in government in 2024.