Reform had previously announced intentions to evict foreign nationals from social housing, a proposal criticized by the housing charity Shelter, which argued that increasing the supply of homes is preferable to altering queue priorities and fostering division.
Tice is expected to outline how Reform plans to finance the creation of 50,000 affordable homes during a news conference scheduled for Monday, the party said.
“It is time to prioritize young British workers, and that is the focus of our policy,” Tice said on Sunday.
“I have devoted my career to property development; as a private individual I have led companies that delivered thousands of new homes. In government I will work to remove barriers that prevent first‑time renters from accessing the housing ladder.”
He added that it is “time to get Britain building” and to provide “the homes our young people deserve.”
According to the English Housing Survey, UK and Irish nationals accounted for 88.5% of main social‑housing householders during the 2024/25 period.
This implies that approximately 11.5% of main householders — the individuals whose names appear on social‑housing tenancy agreements — were non‑UK or non‑Irish nationals.
Reform estimates that about 540,000 social homes are currently occupied by foreign nationals.
Labour dismissed Reform’s proposals and maintained that social housing is already “tightly controlled.”
“Illegal migrants, asylum seekers, and individuals on student or work visas are not eligible for social housing,” a Labour spokesperson said.
Labour said the Reform plan would focus on long‑term UK residents who have contributed to the country but are not British citizens, such as NHS staff.
According to Labour, this approach would increase the risk of homelessness for many families, expand reliance on temporary accommodation at public expense, and trigger lengthy negotiations with the European Union.
The Conservative Party, which also announced plans to revoke foreign nationals’ right to social housing, accused Reform of attempting to align with its own policies.
The Conservatives stated that their proposal, which would permit Irish citizens and certain EU nationals to remain eligible for social housing, could free up approximately 230,000 homes.
Sir James Cleverly, the Conservative shadow housing secretary, added that the party has already outlined comprehensive plans to place British nationals at the front of the social‑housing queue, and that Reform is merely trying to catch up.
“We also believe in a home‑owning society and that hardworking individuals should be able to purchase their own home without unnecessary barriers,” he said.
Liberal Democrat spokesperson Gideon Amos described Reform’s plan as a “cruel gimmick.”
Green MP Siân Berry said her party would address housing challenges by abolishing the Right to Buy scheme, building and acquiring hundreds of thousands of new council homes, and implementing rent controls.
She added that it represents “another blatantly racist and cruel policy from Reform,” contributing to a broader agenda that creates a two‑tier Britain — one for those born in the UK and another for everyone else.
