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England could have built 22% more social homes last year with Rwanda budget

Government criticised for spending £400m on Rwanda scheme while more than 1.2m wait for social housing

By Adam Bychawski
England could have built 22% more social homes last year with Rwanda budget
A housing charity accused the government of "pandering to dog-whistle politics" with the deal. | Getty Images
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The government could have increased the number of social homes built across England last year by more than a fifth using the money it has committed to its Rwanda asylum scheme.

Home secretary James Cleverly confirmed on Wednesday that the government’s agreement to deport asylum seekers who enter the UK irregularly to the African country will have cost almost £400m by 2027.

The total sum would be enough to completely fund an estimated 2,131 new social homes, which is more than 22% of the 9,561 completed in England in the year to April 2023. The average government grant required to build a new home for social rent in England is £183,000, according to estimates by the National Housing Federation.

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