A clash on BBC's Question Time over the Makerfield by-election highlighted a contentious issue: whether immigration drives the UK housing crisis. Reform UK's Rob Kenyon argued that immigration 'plays a massive part in the demand for new houses,' pushing up rental and purchase prices. Green candidate Sarah Wakefield countered that 'the idea of blaming our housing crisis on immigration is absolutely wild,' insisting housing issues are 'not necessarily to do with immigration.'
Claims have circulated that Wigan borough sees an influx of Houses of Multiple Occupation (HMOs) housing asylum seekers, pricing out local residents. As voters head to the polls, the Manchester Evening News investigated whether immigration truly drives housing problems in Wigan. What we found might surprise people.
Housing Supply vs. Demand
In Wigan, data shows the number of households increased by 6,714 between 2011 and 2021, but the overall number of available homes grew by 8,598. The Office for National Statistics defines a 'household' as one person living alone or a group of people, not necessarily related, at the same address. This represents a 4.9% growth, below the national average of 6.2%. From 2022 to March 2025, a further 3,723 homes became available.
Despite the increase in new homes, the waiting list for social housing surged. In 2012, 3,591 people were on the housing register; by March 2021, that number reached 8,460. It rose to 10,404 in 2022 and peaked at 12,018 in 2023. However, by March 2025, the number dropped to 10,295, a decrease of over 1,700.
To combat strain, Wigan Council stated in March that it has built over 2,100 affordable homes since 2019, including more than 680 council homes. Yet, first-time buyers are estimated to pay on average £5,000 more in 2026 than in 2025. Average house prices stand at £191,000, with this year's increase less than half the rise seen across the North West. Wigan remains more affordable, with flat prices actually decreasing in the year to April 2026. House prices are £27,000 below the North West average and £79,000 below the UK average.
HMOs and Asylum Seekers
A key local issue is the rise in HMOs. In July 2025, Wigan Council approved a policy requiring all new HMO applications to go through planning approval. Private rents in Wigan rose by 7.5%, higher than the rest of the North West, but rents for four or more bedrooms saw the smallest increase. Rents remain over £200 lower than the North West average and £600 below the UK average.
Since the policy, a register shows 13 HMOs licensed in 2026 so far, with 64 licensed each year in 2024 and 2025. The total licensed HMOs from 2022 to present is 190. Not all house asylum seekers; the council disclosed in November 2025 that of 211 licensed HMOs, 55 housed asylum seekers. With approximately 146,000 households in Wigan, this equates to 0.03% of homes.
In September 2025, Wigan Council stated that Serco, the contractor managing asylum seeker accommodation, operates around 300 properties in the borough for asylum seeker housing, about 200 of which are HMOs. Since 2023, the council has an agreement with the Home Office that no further properties are to be procured by Serco in the borough.
Migration Data
Data on asylum seekers in the borough goes back to 2023. In 2023, 1,302 asylum seekers were housed, including 172 through Homes for Ukraine and Afghan Resettlement. This increased to 1,486 in 2026, with 53% of the increase being more Ukrainians resettling.
Between 2012 and 2024, Wigan's population increased by an estimated 26,813, with net migration from overseas at 9,642, making up nearly 36% of the overall increase. In 2021 Census data, only 0.4% of people in the Makerfield constituency had been in the UK less than two years, and less than 2% for less than 10 years.
In any year, international migrants moving to Wigan never exceed 1% of the total population. Figures peaked in 2022 with over 3,000 moving from overseas, dropping to 1,840 by 2024. However, from 2021 to 2022, the number leaped from 228 to 3,079—a 1,350% increase, in line with a national spike. Of the 9,642 people who moved to Wigan from overseas between 2012 and 2024, 7,265 arrived between 2022 and 2024.
Complex Picture
The spike in international migration between 2022 and 2024 coincides with an increase in the housing waiting list. However, asylum seekers awaiting decisions cannot access council housing or claim benefits. Wigan Council's new allocations policy strengthens local connection rules, requiring applicants to have lived in Wigan for at least three years.
Significant internal migration also occurred: between 2022 and 2024, 8,393 people moved to Wigan from other parts of the UK, more than the international migration over the same period. In 2024, nearly 1,200 more people moved from elsewhere in the UK than from overseas.
Since 2024, UK migration has almost halved, with figures at their lowest since 2012 excluding the pandemic. Asylum claims in the year to March 2026 dropped by 12%. The situation is more complex than any political soundbite or social media comment might suggest.
