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Written question asked by Baroness Maclean of Redditch (Conservative) on Wednesday, 19 November 2025, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 3 December 2025. It was answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage (Labour) on Tuesday, 2 December 2025 on behalf of the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

Affordable Housing

Question

To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by the Minister for Housing on 5 February 2024 (HC8158), what proportion of the budget for social and affordable housing is spent on (1) Ukrainian and Afghan refugee and guests schemes, (2) asylum seekers, (3) migrant workers on the shortage occupation list, (4) dependents of such migrant workers, (5) workers on the health and social care visa scheme and (6) non-UK citizens.

Answer

There is not a single budget for social and affordable housing. Most of the income for social housing providers come from rent paid by tenants, some of whom have help from the welfare system to pay it. New social and affordable homes are typically funded by a mix of subsidy from government grant programmes, or through Section 106 agreements in planning permissions, combined with borrowing by landlords against future rental income.

Completed new social homes are allocated to new tenants by local authorities, unless agreed otherwise. Local authorities are responsible for their own allocation scheme for social housing within the framework of legislation.

Eligibility for social housing 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. Asylum seekers and migrants in the UK on work or student visas are not eligible for social housing.

Data is available for all social housing lettings in England. This data does not include details of official refugee or immigration status, or route into the country. However, it does include details of nationality, based on the self-reported nationality of the lead tenant. The data shows that between April 2024 and March 2025:

  • There were 29,700 new social lettings in England to households led by non-UK nationals (11.3% of all new social lettings). Of these;
  • There were 1,100 new social lettings in England to households led by Ukrainian nationals (0.5% of all new social lettings).
  • There were 1,300 new social lettings in England to households led by Afghan nationals (0.6% of all new social lettings).

These figures are publicly available (attached) in Social housing lettings in England, April 2024 to March 2025 - GOV.UK

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
HL12120
Session
2024-26
Attachment
Social housing lettings in England
Related items
Affordable Housing
Monday, 5 February 2024
Written questions
House of Commons
Subjects
Asylum Foreign nationals Migrants Affordable housing Migrant workers
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk