AIBU to ask if the plan to 'prioritise British families' for social housing is an attack on asylum seekers or a long overdue reform?

It used to be that (if your children are of the oppisite sex), when the eldest is 10, you are entitled to a social house with more bedrooms so the kids have a bedroom each? Not sure what the rules are now. It seems to have changed but the wording is so purposely confusing 😖

They do this on purpose.

They use woolly phrases, such as "foreign nationals" to get people confused. Also to imply that its 'illegal immigrants'.

Foreign nationals could be anything. It depends on what you class as a foreign national.

• person A is a British citizen, but married/paternered with someone from (for example) Poland/USA/France/India. - have they included this person as a foreign national in the statistics?
• People with dual nationalities. I am both British and French, hold both passports. If I get social.housing am I classed as a foreign national? Which nationality Dues the council use?
• Granted Refugee status - do the foreign nationals include people who have been granted refugee status and therefore eligible to apply for appropriate social benefits? Does this take into account anyone applying for UK citizenship?
• British Citizens born abroad. There are a number of people, myself included, which are British citizens, but were born abroad. Very common in Military, Diplomatic etc. Some departments - looking at you DVLA - imply we are foreign nationals, as we weren't born in the UK, but hold UK passports.

Exactly. But the reason this type of ‘policy’ works, in election year, is precisely because of the kind of response that came first on this thread.

I mean it might have been more meaningful if it was coming from a Tory party that hadn’t been in power for the last fourteen years and solely responsible for the current policy, but y’know. I’d like to say - do they think people are stupid? - but it’s pointless because the fact is, plenty of them clearly are.

It's bollocks they have fucked the housing system by selling it all off and not building enough new places . Not fault of 'forriners'

@Bigearringsbigsmile, it's not bigoted to think a country should prioritise their population first as @alivio says.

Either way though, there should be wayyy more social housing.

What have they done in the last decade to help British people? Other than themselves and their rich mates?

It’s something that should be looked at. Otherwise it’s trying to bail out a leaky boat. Migrants will have to work out if they can afford to live in the UK by renting or buying as there is NO spare housing right now.
Not racist.

You're conflating immigrants and illegal immigrants. 🤷‍♀️ They're not all the same.

Winning votes by scratching a bigots itch

It’s an election year and they want votes from British families who are on the housing list and don’t know that asylum seekers aren’t the reason for the shortage

Not all foreign nationals are refugees. Why would they be?

Refugees with refugee status can access housing/benefits

I think you mean someone who is seeking asylum whose claim has not yet been successful. They do not access housing/benefits through the normal route they are supported by central government, housed in (usually) condemmed and not fit for purpose housing and given 80% of the UC rates (unless its gone up)

Homes should go to working people, especially those on lower wages and in London where accommodation costs are through the roof.

Surely a policy along those lines would help employment.

So the subject of immigration, the majority of immigrants do want to work especially economic migrants. I can't point towards stats to back up that statement but I can't believe they'd want to make the effort and live on benefits which aren't that generous.

Pretty much.

This isn't going to actually help anyone.

It's dog whistle posturing while achieving nothing practical.

I’m confused by this part:

In the London borough of Brent, 40% of new social homes were let to foreign nationals in 2021-22, while in Southwark the figure was 29%.

Do they mean refugees?

I think the point being made is that it's an unnecessary populist policy. Unnecessary because refugees already can't access social housing. The problems with lack of social housing are not down to hoarded of illegal immigrants getting handed housing. That's just not what is happening

well some will see it as racist because any topic with immigrants in the subject line incites calls of racism. But, pretty much every single other country in the world, including the most left leaning socialist nations,
prioritises their population first. I'm
not why that's even controversial.