Reform UK Prioritises British-born Young Workers for Social Housing
BBC News - Henry Moore, 23 August 2026
Reform UK has announced it will give priority to British-born workers under 35 when allocating social housing if they form the government. Deputy leader Richard Tice will unveil plans to build 50,000 affordable social homes annually at a news conference on Monday. The party claims this policy will be achieved without raising taxes or increasing borrowing.
Along with British-born workers, former military personnel and married couples with children will also be given priority, according to Reform.
A Labour spokesperson criticised the plans, calling them "unserious and unworkable". They accused Reform of promoting "gimmicks and division" by targeting long-term UK residents who have contributed to the country.
Previously, Reform proposed evicting foreign nationals from social housing, a plan met with criticism from housing charity Shelter. They argued that building more homes is the solution, not "changing the order of the queue" or "stoking division".
Tice will detail how Reform plans to fund the 50,000 affordable homes during Monday's conference. He stated, "It is time for us to prioritise young British workers, and that is what our policy is about."
He added, "I have spent my entire career in property development... In government, I will break down barriers to get generation rent onto the housing ladder."
According to the English Housing Survey, UK or Irish nationals made up 88.5% of main social home householders in 2024/25. Reform estimates that approximately 540,000 social homes are currently occupied by foreign nationals.
Labour disputed these plans, stating that social housing is already "tightly controlled". They asserted that illegal migrants, asylum seekers, and migrants on student or work visas are not eligible for social housing. The party further claimed that Reform's plan would target long-term UK residents, including NHS staff, putting families at risk of homelessness and increasing the use of temporary accommodation at taxpayers' expense.
The Conservative Party, which also supports revoking the right of foreign nationals to social housing, accused Reform of "trying to catch up" with their policies. The Tories claim their plan would free up around 230,000 homes by allowing Irish citizens and some EU nationals to remain in social housing.