UK Conservatives propose ban on social housing for foreign nationals

The Conservative Party has announced a plan to end social housing for foreign nationals in England, claiming it would free up roughly 230,000 homes for British families and save up to £4 billion for taxpayers. Under the proposal, any current tenant who is not a UK, Irish or EU citizen would be required to leave within six months, while new tenancies would be limited to UK nationals and those with EU settled status. The policy was presented by Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary Helen Whately and supported by Kemi Badenoch, who framed the measure as a way to stop the UK becoming a “cash machine for the world”. Critics, including Labour, the housing charity Shelter and the Royal College of Nursing, described the plan as divisive, unworkable and likely to increase homelessness and pressure on councils. The proposal mirrors similar ideas from Reform UK and comes amid a housing waiting list of about 1.3 million households.

The Conservatives argue the move will address the housing crisis more quickly than new construction, while opponents say it does little to solve the shortage and merely targets refugees and long‑term legal residents, risking social and health impacts for vulnerable groups.