Senedd rejects Reform motion to bar foreign nationals from social housing
Reform MS Joe Martin had called for an end to access for foreign nationals to both houses in multiple occupation and social housing, arguing the resources should be…
The Senedd voted down a Reform Party motion that would have forced foreign nationals living in social housing to vacate within three months or face deportation.
Reform MS Joe Martin had called for an end to access for foreign nationals to both houses in multiple occupation and social housing, arguing the resources should be reserved for Welsh citizens.
The proposal was met with swift cross‑party opposition, prompting the Welsh Greens leader Anthony Slaughter to denounce it as “nonsensical, hateful and inflammatory”.
Plaid Cymru and Labour members tabled an amendment that reaffirmed social‑housing priority is determined by need, and reminded the chamber that asylum‑seeker accommodation remains a reserved matter for the UK Government.
Reform’s shadow housing minister Francesca O’Brien insisted that social housing “should be reserved for the people of this country”, describing the current asylum system as “deranged” and claiming the use of HMOs for asylum seekers is putting “families out of homes”.
O’Brien highlighted that the Housing Act 1996, which still governs Welsh social‑housing allocations, contains no provision for residency length or citizenship status.
She noted that England introduced a residence test in 2011, allowing councils to decide who qualifies for social housing, and said “hundreds” of English authorities now apply such a test.
O’Brien argued that Section 35 of the Homelessness and Social Housing Allocation (Wales) Bill would have given Welsh councils the same power, but the clause was removed after an amendment tabled by the current housing minister.
Conservative communities spokesperson Peter Fox acknowledged public concern over “pressure on housing”, adding that “social housing must prioritise those with a genuine and established connection to our country”.
Fox condemned the Reform motion as “headline‑grabbing” and warned it would collapse under practical scrutiny, noting it would also affect foreign students in HMOs, legally‑present workers and Irish citizens under the Common Travel Area.
Housing minister Sian Gwenllian reiterated that “everyone in Wales should have access to a safe, warm and affordable home”, while recognising the frustration caused by long waiting lists and poorly managed properties.
Gwenllian stressed that the solution is not to “divide communities or to pit groups of people against each other”, and clarified that social housing is not currently provided to asylum seekers.
She concluded that Reform’s proposal offers a “simplistic and divisive approach to a complex housing problem”.
The Senedd’s decision leaves the existing allocation framework unchanged, with Welsh councils continuing to assess applicants on the basis of need rather than nationality.
Housing charities and advocacy groups have welcomed the outcome, urging the Welsh Government to address the broader shortage of affordable homes without targeting specific communities.
Welsh ministers have signalled a willingness to explore reforms to the allocation system, but have ruled out any measures that would single out foreign nationals for exclusion.