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The truth behind new Plymouth homes after 'illegal immigrant' onslaught Plymouth Community Homes secured £250m for new houses - but some people were far from happy A prominent Plymouth housing association has set the record straight after an online onslaught suggesting new properties would go to "illegal immigrants" or be "unaffordable". ‌ Plymouth Community Homes is currently the city's largest social housing landlord with more than 16,000 properties providing homes to more than 35,000 people in Plymouth and surrounding areas. It is also a commercial landlord with more than 170 shops across the city. ‌ It recently announced it had secured £250m from Homes England to help deliver 1,500 affordable homes over the next decade. ‌ PCH was one of just 33 'Strategic Partners' in the Government's Social and Affordable Homes Programme 2026-2036 with the funding helping to deliver more affordable homes, support regeneration and invest in communities across Devon and Cornwall. However the good news announcement was met with an unexpected backlash on social media with many taking to the housing association's Facebook page to pour scorn and cold water on the move. One said: "1,400 of them will be for foreigners and asylum seekers. I would love to know how many actually go to English families". ‌ Another quipped: "As usual, top of the list will be non-UK residence. So you’ll be using public money to House them, pay for the gas and electric paying for their council tax and live (rent-free)." Someone else added: "I smell a rat... I've already seen Plymouth have recently been given millions of tax payers money to house illegals. This'll be the first installation, none of it will go to locals desperately in need of suitable and affordable housing." Another asked: "Do asylum seekers and illegal immigrants get first pick?" ‌ Others criticised the move, claiming that the homes would be far from "affordable" with someone arguing "Affordable homes for Who? Are we going to be the next dumping ground for individuals that most of us don’t want." While PCH attempted to reply to a number of the comments, people appeared unimpressed with the answers. PlymouthLive asked PCH to explain the situation in more detail. ‌ Your questions answered: what PCH's £250m Homes England funding really means for Plymouth, Devon and Cornwall The funding will support the delivery of 1,500 affordable homes over the next decade and help address housing need across Plymouth, Devon and Cornwall. In practice, this means a mixture of homes for social rent and shared ownership properties, helping more people access secure, affordable housing whether they are looking to rent a home or take their first step onto the property ladder through PCH's SO Living brand. PCH also see this as a significant vote of confidence in their ability to deliver high-quality affordable homes and thriving communities. These homes are not the only ones PCH are delivering, but the grant will enable these extra homes to be built to support residents across the region in need of an affordable home. ‌ Does this funding pay for all 1,500 homes being referenced? No - the £250m from Homes England will support the delivery of 1,500 affordable homes through the Strategic Partnership programme over the next decade, helping us accelerate the delivery of much-needed social rent and shared ownership homes across Devon and Cornwall. However, these are not the only homes PCH plans to deliver. Our new ten-year Strategic Business Plan sets out a much wider growth ambition, including increasing the number of homes we manage to at least 25,000 (from the current 16,000) by 2036 and accelerating development activity to deliver around 300 new homes each year. ‌ Like most housing associations, PCH delivers homes through a range of funding sources, investment programmes and partnerships. The Homes England funding forms a major part of our wider growth plans, providing long-term certainty that will help us work with local authorities, construction partners and Homes England to bring forward more affordable housing in areas where need is greatest. We have already identified more than 1,168 homes within the Strategic Partnership programme and continue to explore further opportunities across Devon and Cornwall. The funding will help us accelerate delivery, support thriving communities and provide more local people with access to secure and affordable housing over the coming decade. ‌ Is £250m being handed to PCH all at once? No - this is a long-term programme running from 2026 to 2036. The funding will support affordable housing developments delivered over that period and will be linked to agreed programmes of work with Homes England. What is affordable housing? Affordable housing is a broad term used to describe homes mainly offered through social rent, with some made available at costs below typical housing marking costs. ‌ At PCH, this typically includes: Social rent homes Affordable rent homes ‌ Shared ownership homes through our SO Living brand The aim is to help people access secure and affordable housing through a range of options that meet different needs and individual circumstances. ‌ Does this mean PCH will build homes and then sell them all at a profit? No - the funding is specifically designed to support affordable delivery of affordable housing to help meet local housing need, including homes for social rent and shared ownership. The programme is intended to help more people access secure and affordable housing, particularly those on local housing waiting lists and others who would otherwise struggle to find a suitable home. ‌ The majority of homes delivered through the programme will be affordable housing for local communities offered through social rent. Some homes may be provided through shared ownership via PCH's SO Living brand, helping people take their first step into home ownership, but the programme is not about building homes for open market sale. The Homes England funding helps make housing developments viable and allows housing associations like PCH to invest in schemes that meet local housing need all across Plymouth and the wider region. This is particularly important in places where affordable housing can be more difficult to deliver financially. This includes regeneration projects, brownfield sites and complex developments in urban areas, where costs can often be significantly higher. The additional support from Homes England helps housing associations bring forward schemes that might otherwise not be viable, ensuring more local people can access affordable homes in the communities where they are needed most. ‌ How are social housing homes allocated? PCH provides homes to everyone who needs them, regardless of their situation or background. However, PCH does not directly allocate its social rent homes. Instead, we work through Devon Home Choice and Cornwall Home Choice, which assess applicants and prioritise housing based on need and eligibility. ‌ People must register, be assessed and then bid for suitable properties through those schemes. Are these homes being built for asylum seekers or migrants? No - the homes funded through this programme are not being built specifically for asylum seekers. ‌ PCH does not operate a separate housing allocation system for asylum seekers and does not decide who is prioritised outside the existing Devon Home Choice and Cornwall Home Choice processes. There is information on the Plymouth City Council website about the process for asylum seekers in Plymouth being supported with temporary accommodation. https://www.plymouth.gov.uk/asylum-seekers Neither PCC nor PCH is involved in administering this process, which is managed through the Home Office. ‌ Social housing allocations are based on assessed need and eligibility through the relevant local housing register. Is this funding only for Plymouth? No - while Plymouth Community Homes remains proudly rooted in Plymouth, we are already delivering homes and regeneration projects across Devon and Cornwall, in addition to within Plymouth itself. ‌ PCH already has homes and development activity in locations including South East Cornwall, St Austell, Exeter, South Devon and Plymouth, and continues to work with local authorities, Homes England and development partners to bring forward opportunities where housing need is greatest. The funding will help us continue investing in communities across Devon and Cornwall and support local people to access secure and affordable housing closer to where they live and work. ‌ Why are we building more homes when local services are already under pressure? We recognise concerns about pressures on local services such as GP surgeries, dentists and roads. However, there is also a continued shortage of affordable homes across Plymouth, Devon and Cornwall, with many people struggling to find housing they can afford. The purpose of this funding is to help tackle that housing shortage. ‌ When new developments are proposed, housing associations work closely with planning authorities, local councils and other stakeholders throughout the planning process to ensure schemes are delivered appropriately. We are separate from local authorities so can't comment on the further provision of local services, but PCH's aim is never simply to build houses, but to help create thriving and sustainable communities. We invest back in our residents through our social value funds, community projects and much more. ‌ Why doesn't the money go towards fixing potholes instead? Because we are not part of Plymouth City Council, we are a Housing Association completely separate from any local authority. We are focused on the provision of affordable local housing. Also, because this funding from Homes England is intended specifically to support affordable housing delivery. It cannot be redirected to highway maintenance, road repairs, schools, healthcare services or other council responsibilities. Housing associations and local authorities perform different roles. PCH's role is to provide and manage homes, invest in communities and deliver affordable housing. Local councils are responsible for services such as roads, waste collection, planning, public health and many other local services. ‌ £250m sounds like a huge amount of money. Why does it only deliver 1,500 homes? Building new homes involves much more than construction alone. Costs include land, planning, utilities, site infrastructure, environmental requirements, construction materials, labour, other professional fees and development costs. The Homes England funding is also not intended to cover the full cost of every home. Housing associations, including PCH, invest significant amounts of their own money and secure additional finance to deliver developments. ‌ Funding of this kind is particularly important when delivering affordable housing in locations where development can be more challenging and expensive. This includes major regeneration projects, brownfield sites and complicated urban developments, where costs are often much higher than other locations. Examples include major regeneration schemes such as Marlborough House, a high rise building in the heart of Plymouth, Brake Farm and the emerging plans for Bath Street, all where significant investment is needed not only to build new homes but also to help regenerate communities, improve existing environments and unlock sites in densely populated areas that might otherwise be difficult to develop. These types of projects can deliver long-term benefits for local people but often require substantial public investment to make them work. The £250m funding will be spread across a ten-year programme and will help PCH deliver 1,500 affordable homes across Devon and Cornwall, including social rent, affordable rent and shared ownership homes. It will also help bring forward regeneration opportunities and developments in areas where housing need is greatest and delivery can be more financially challenging. ‌ Why did Homes England choose PCH? Homes England selected PCH as one of just 33 Strategic Partners nationally. The highly competitive programme has been described as the largest investment in social and affordable housing in a generation, making being selected through the programme a huge achievement for PCH as one of the most significant development opportunities available. It places PCH alongside some of the largest and most established housing providers in the country and reflects Homes England's confidence in our ability to deliver affordable homes at scale over the long term. The successful bid was the result of extensive work across the organisation and with local authority and construction partners, demonstrating our development expertise, financial strength and proven track record of delivery. Importantly, PCH secured one of the highest grant rates per home among Strategic Partners, helping underpin our plans to deliver 1,500 affordable homes over the next decade. We have already identified more than 1,168 homes within the programme and continue to explore further opportunities across Devon and Cornwall. ‌ The funding gives us greater certainty to plan ahead, invest confidently in communities and bring forward affordable housing and regeneration schemes that will help meet housing need across the region. For Plymouth, Devon and Cornwall, this represents a major vote of confidence in both PCH and the South West as a place for long-term housing investment. What does success look like over the next 10 years? Success means more affordable homes, more opportunities for local people and more investment in communities across Plymouth, Devon and Cornwall. Article continues below Alongside delivering 1,500 affordable homes, PCH remains committed to investing in existing homes, improving energy efficiency, maintaining quality and providing excellent services for residents. Ultimately, this funding is about helping more people access the secure, affordable homes they need while supporting thriving communities across the wider region.