Social Rented Housing: Foreign Nationals
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether his Department provides guidance to local authorities on the circumstances in which they must rehouse statutory homeless households who are not UK nationals; and whether his Department plans to amend duties or guidance to social housing landlords in this regard.
Answered by Alison McGovern
Eligibility for social housing and homelessness assistance is tightly controlled. If a person’s visa means that they cannot access state benefits or local authority housing assistance, they are not eligible for an allocation of social housing or homelessness support.
Local authorities’ homelessness duties apply consistently to all eligible households, regardless of nationality. Individuals are assessed under the same statutory framework and must meet the same criteria for support. We expect councils to use existing powers to prevent homelessness for all eligible households.
Only eligible individuals can join social housing waiting lists and be given a social housing tenancy. Where non-UK nationals are eligible, they will have their housing needs considered on the same basis as other eligible applicants in accordance with the local authority’s housing allocation scheme. People who are homeless, in overcrowded housing or who need to move for medical reasons are prioritised.
The Government’s National Plan to End Homelessness focuses on prevention and improving coordination, rather than changing eligibility for housing. We are improving data sharing so councils receive information on newly granted refugees within two days, enabling earlier intervention and reducing homelessness risk at move‑on. These measures do not alter the statutory framework for housing allocation and are not expected to change the number of non‑UK nationals allocated housing.
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