Reform says it would put foreign-born UK citizens lower on social housing list

Reform UK is proposing a new policy that would place British citizens born abroad lower on the social housing waiting list, aiming to prioritize those born in the UK.

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There are now 1.3 million people waiting for social housing in Britain. The vast majority of them do not have jobs. In terms of the social houses we have, less than half of households are in work and over half a million social homes are currently occupied by foreign nationals.

The party announced the policy, stating that people born in the UK and young married couples with children would receive preferential treatment for social housing. This initiative builds on previous proposals to ban foreign nationals from social housing altogether. Richard Tice, the party's deputy leader, highlighted that 1.3 million people are waiting for social housing in Britain, with a significant portion being unemployed foreign nationals. He argued that the policy would support "young British workers" who struggle to afford independent living and starting families.

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It is time for us to prioritise young British workers, and that is what our policy is about.

Under the proposed rules, some foreign-born Britons would be exempt, such as those born while their British parents were temporarily overseas. However, the party acknowledges that legislation would be required to implement these changes and avoid legal conflicts. Farage's earlier proposal included a three-month notice for foreign nationals already in social housing to find private accommodation or face deportation.

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Designed to stoke division, these plans will only serve to disrupt the lives of thousands of families, tear communities apart, and put even more people at risk of homelessness.

Experts and charities have voiced strong opposition to the plan. Sarah Elliott, chief executive of the charity Shelter, criticized the proposals as divisive, predicting they would disrupt families, fragment communities, and increase homelessness. She argued that prioritizing nationality and employment over urgent housing needs, such as homelessness or risk of homelessness, would leave vulnerable families in temporary accommodation for extended periods and endanger those escaping domestic abuse.

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Putting nationality and employment ahead of housing need, and moving away from a system designed to prioritise people who are homeless or at urgent risk of homelessness, could leave even more families trapped in awful temporary accommodation for years on end. Not to mention putting those escaping domestic abuse and violence at serious risk of harm.