New tenants trying to get council and other social
housing are to be required to live in the local area for four years instead of
the current two. The white paper, The Best of Both Worlds – Our Special Status
in a Reformed EU, makes clear that the change in the “residency test” will not
just apply to new migrants but also anyone moving within Britain. The Foreign
Office paper says that existing official guidance to local authorities in
England already makes clear they should require a potential tenant to live in
the area for at least two years before they are considered for social housing.
Download the paper from the GovUK website.
