Housing charity Shelter has criticised a Conservative Party proposal to restrict access to social housing for foreign nationals in England, describing the plan as “unworkable”.
The Conservatives say that, if elected, they would stop new social housing tenancies being offered to foreign nationals. They also propose ending some existing tenancies where neither member of a couple is a UK, Irish or eligible EU citizen.
The party estimates that the changes could make around 228,144 homes available to British families. However, the policy could also leave foreign nationals who cannot afford to buy a property relying on the private rented sector instead.
Shelter Questions the Proposal
Alicia Walker, deputy director at Shelter, told Sky News that the proposal would not address the underlying problems facing England’s social housing system.
She argued that the focus should instead be on enabling councils to build more social homes, saying the current proposal risks distracting from the need to increase housing supply.
Walker also pointed out that access to social housing is already subject to strict eligibility requirements. People generally need to be legally settled, have a connection to the local area and meet the relevant criteria before they can be placed on the housing waiting list.
She also stressed that social housing is not automatically provided to people when they arrive in the country.
Who Could Be Affected?
Under the proposed changes, existing tenants who no longer meet the eligibility requirements could be required to leave their homes within six months.
Single people who are not UK, Irish or eligible EU citizens could lose their social housing, regardless of whether they have children.
Couples could also be affected if neither person is a UK, Irish or EU citizen and they do not have EU settled status.
People with EU settled status would remain protected from eviction under the proposal.
For new social housing tenancies, UK nationals and people with EU settled status would remain eligible. However, newly arrived EU citizens without settled status would not qualify.
At present, some foreign nationals can qualify for social housing if they have settled status, refugee status or certain humanitarian protections. Asylum seekers are generally not eligible, except in limited circumstances.
Most Social Housing Goes to UK Nationals
Government figures show that UK nationals already make up the overwhelming majority of new social housing tenants.
During 2024-25, around 89% of lead tenants receiving new social housing lettings were UK nationals, representing approximately 233,000 people.
Refugees accounted for around 2.3% of new lettings. Of these, about 800 were UK nationals, while roughly 3,900 were non-UK nationals.
The figures have added to the debate over whether restricting access for foreign nationals would significantly ease pressure on social housing waiting lists.
Shelter argues that the bigger issue is the shortage of available social homes and says increasing council housebuilding would be a more effective way of addressing the problem.
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