Finding a home can be life-changing. For some people, including those who have had to leave their country to find safety, it’s an important step in rebuilding their lives and feeling part of a community again.
We know there can be confusion about how social housing works and who is eligible. This page sets out the facts clearly, while recognising the real experiences behind the system.
Finding safety, building a life
Timi was just 19 when he arrived in the UK. He had left Nigeria to escape discrimination and to live somewhere he could be himself without fear.
Today, he lives at Oak House in Cardiff, one of our supported housing schemes. He has settled into the community and become part of the local music scene.
Timi said: “Oak House has everything. They’re very supportive, and each and every one of the staff is incredible.
“They look after you, they’re friendly, and you can always have a cup of tea and a chat with them. I love this place.”
Timi’s story reflects the courage it takes to start again, and the role a safe home can play in helping people build a new future.
Understanding the facts
There is often a lot of misunderstanding about immigration and social housing.
Our homes are allocated in partnership with local authorities and other community landlords, with each local authority managing a common housing register.
A person must have a legal right to live in the UK and a local connection to their area to be eligible for social housing.
Only migrants who have come through regular routes, such as for work, or those who the Home Office have concluded have a right to live in the UK after fleeing persecution or war are eligible for a home.
You can find out more about how we allocate homes here.
In the last financial year, we provided 370 homes for social rent. Each one of these homes can transform a resident’s life.
Of these homes, 20 applicants were housed who were granted asylum or who had refugee status.
These were all allocated to people on the common housing register, with a local connection to their area and who needed a home.
Only people with a legal right to live in the UK are eligible for social housing. The only migrants who can access social housing are those who have come through regular routes, such as for work, or those who the Home Office have concluded have a right to live in the UK after fleeing persecution or war. Others don’t.
A person must also have a local connection to their local authority area to be eligible for social housing. Local connection is created by time lived in the area, employment, or close family ties.
Everyone in Wales, regardless of where they originally come from, is subject to the same social housing allocation rules.
Some refugees or migrants will be given priority need, but not because they are not from Wales. It will be because they meet the priority need condition, for example, they may be a single mother with young children.
There are currently 94,000 households waiting for social housing in Wales, which equates to around 150,000 people
Even if the Welsh Government were meeting the targets they set for house building, the reality is that Wales needs many more houses to house everyone who needs a home.
Each local authority has its own allocation policy, with waiting times also varying due to availability of housing and demand in the area.
