Britain’s minister for homelessness, Rushanara Ali, has resigned following revelations that she significantly increased rent on a property she owns shortly after evicting its tenants. The Labour MP, who served as under-secretary of state for homelessness, announced her resignation in a letter to Prime Minister Keir Starmer, stating that remaining in her post would distract from the government’s housing agenda.

Her departure comes after The I-Paper reported that Ali had evicted four tenants from a London property and relisted it weeks later with the rent hiked by over £700. The move sparked criticism from homelessness advocates and opposition MPs, who argued her actions were incompatible with her ministerial role. Ali insisted she had followed all legal requirements and acted responsibly as a landlord.

Prime Minister Starmer accepted her resignation and thanked her for her contributions, especially her work on repealing the Vagrancy Act. Despite the controversy, he acknowledged her efforts toward shaping fairer housing policies.