More than 40,000 military homes are to be modernised, refurbished or rebuilt in a £9bn programme announced by the Government this week.
The views of more than 6,300 Forces families were used to create the new Defence Housing Strategy, which represents the biggest shake-up in Service housing in 50 years.
AFF and its Housing Specialist Cat Calder, who was on the independent review panel, played a critical role in making sure your experience of housing was collected and your voices were heard.
A 10-year plan
Around 14,000 SFA are to be substantially refurbished or replaced over the next decade. Others will be given new kitchens, bathrooms and heating systems.
Among the recommendations are new military housing standards that keep pace with the Decent Homes Standard and housing safety requirements. New and improved homes will meet high standards – warm, spacious and built to last.
The strategy also calls for a move away from a reactive ‘fix on fail’ approach to planned lifecycle maintenance.
Since April work has progressed quickly to improve 1,000 of the worst homes, with completion expected by the end of December.
A simplified complaints process launched in October also makes it easier and quicker to get help when things go wrong.
More inclusive policies
For the first time, housing access will be widened to include those in long-term relationships and non-resident parents.
While new homes are being built, a rental support scheme will help eligible families rent privately in the meantime. More details on this will be shared soon.
A new Defence Housing Service will be created in the MOD, keeping control of the estate in-house and following a Forces First ethos.
The £9bn investment comes on top of the £1.5bn revealed in the Strategic Defence Review earlier this year for rapid improvements to military accommodation in the worst condition.
It follows the buy-back of 36,000 military homes from Annington and the announcement of plans to build more than 100,000 civilian and military homes on surplus Defence land.
Service personnel and veterans will be given priority when these new developments are built – including access to discounted homes.
What comes next?
A review of Single Living Accommodation is coming soon.
Plans are also being developed to improve overseas family housing.
Your feedback continues to shape the future – more than 6,300 responses to the Defence Housing Questionnaire helped guide this strategy. If you left contact details, you may be invited to share more insights in future research.
AFF’s role
AFF has been instrumental in making sure your voices were heard throughout this review. From gathering feedback to representing your concerns at the highest levels, AFF helped ensure the strategy reflects the real needs of Service families today.
This is just the beginning of a long-term commitment to improving Armed Forces housing. We’ll keep you updated every step of the way.