Sector bodies voice concerns over ‘British homes for British workers’ plan

News29 Jan 2024James Wilmore

A 17-strong coalition of housing groups have raised concerns with the government over rumoured plans for a ‘British homes for British workers’ policy, arguing that everyone deserves safe housing “regardless of where they are from”.

Rishi Sunak has been sent an open letter from housing groups raising concerns about the ‘British homes for British workers’ policy

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A 17-strong coalition of housing groups have raised concerns with the government over rumoured plans for a ‘British homes for British workers’ policy, arguing that everyone deserves safe housing “regardless of where they are from”

The organisations have written an open letter to Rishi Sunak and housing secretary Michael Gove after The Guardian last week reported that a consultation is due to be launched.

If the rumoured scheme were to go ahead, it would mean British citizens being given higher priority for social housing, according to the report.

However the National Housing Federation and the Chartered Institute of Housing are among those that have questioned the plans in the letter.

“We all deserve safe housing, regardless of where we are from,” the letter said. “Further rationing of an already scarce resource does not address the fundamental failures of the last 40 years – we have simply not built the homes the UK needs to ensure everybody has a safe and secure place to live.”

Gavin Smart, chief executive at the CIH, said “focusing on the wrong policies” will do nothing to tackle the housing crisis. He added: “We urgently need to increase the supply of social rented homes – that means building more and reducing the loss generated by policies such as Right to Buy.”

Matt Downie, chief executive at Crisis, said: “These plans will do absolutely nothing to deliver the levels of social housing we need and only seek to pin the blame on a group of people in desperate need of support.”

Lawyers have also questioned whether the policy would be legal. Giles Peaker, a housing lawyer at Anthony Gold Solicitors, told The Big Issue: “Discrimination on the basis of nationality would likely be unlawful.”

When contacted by Social Housing, a Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities spokesperson said: “We will not comment on policy speculation. Our commitment to building more homes and boosting social housing supply remains, and we are on track to meet our manifesto commitment to build one million homes over this parliament, backed by investment of £10bn in housing supply.”

The signatories to the letter are:

Kate Henderson, chief executive, National Housing Federation
Darren Rodwell, chair, Local Infrastructure and Net Zero Board at the Local Government Association
Paul Price, chief executive, Association of Retained Council Housing (ARCH)
Aydin Dikerdem, chair, ARCH
Eamon McGoldrick, managing director, National Federation of ALMOs
Claire Higgins, vice-chair, PlaceShapers
Rick Henderson, chief executive, Homeless Link
Polly Neate, chief executive, Shelter
Matt Downie, chief executive, Crisis
Emma Haddad, chief executive, St Mungo’s
Ben Twomey, chief executive, Generation Rent
Bridget Young, chief executive, The No Accommodation Network
Yasmin Halima, executive director, Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants Andrea Cleaver, CEO, Welsh Refugee Council
Alicja Zalesinska, chief executive, Tai Pawb

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