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Social Rented Housing: Nationality

Asked by Rupert LoweRestore BritainMinistry of Housing, Communities and Local GovernmentTabled Answered 16 December 2024UIN 18266

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to her Department's statistics on Social housing lettings in England, April 2023 to March 2024, published on 5 December 2024, if she will make an estimate of the number of social housing properties in which the lead tenant was a (a) UK, (b) EEA and (c) other national in each year since 2010.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook

People are generally eligible for social housing if they have leave to remain in the UK and have recourse to public funds.

Only individuals that are eligible can join housing registers and be given a social housing tenancy.

The Home Office decides whether persons from abroad have leave to remain in the UK and whether they have recourse to public funds.

Where foreign nationals are eligible, they will have their housing needs considered on the same basis as other eligible applicants in accordance with the relevant local authority’s housing allocation scheme.

The government response to the January 2024 consultation on changes to social housing allocation tests can be found on gov.uk here.

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