Action to end scandal of squalid military family housing

Defence Secretary John Healey has vowed to end the scandal of members of the armed forces and their families living in squalid conditions. He has pledged to "stop the rot" as concern mounts about wretched conditions endured by servicemen and women and their loved ones.

A new "charter" for military families will set higher standards for accommodation and follows 36,000 homes being brought back into public ownership.

The defence committee last year denounced the quality of housing as "shocking", warning that two-thirds of accommodation needed work to bring it up to modern standards. The Government was warned of the danger posed by serious damp and mould to the health of people who are prepared to fight for their country.

There is evidence that poor housing has encouraged people to quit the forces at a time when there are strong concerns about the strength of Britain's fighting force.

The Ministry of Defence is now promising "homes fit for heroes". Residents of the housing will gain "basic consumer rights" and a "robust complaints system".

This is alongside plans to "turbocharge" the development of surplus military land for housing which should create new opportunities for members of the armed forces to own their own homes.

The MoD says that by bringing military homes back into public ownership this will save the taxpayer "£600,000 per day by eliminating rental payments to a private company".

Up to 1,000 of the worst homes will be refurbished as a "down-payment" for improvements promised as part of a new defence housing strategy.

The Defence Secretary said: "Our armed forces serve with extraordinary dedication and courage to keep us safe. It is only right that they and their families live in the homes they deserve.

"For too long, military families have endured substandard housing without the basic consumer rights that any of us should expect in our homes. That must end and our new consumer charter will begin to stop the rot and put families at the heart of that transformation.

"We cannot turn around years of failure on forces housing overnight, but by bringing 36,000 military homes back into public ownership, we've already taken greater control and are working at pace to drive up standards. This is about providing homes fit for the heroes who serve our nation, and I'm determined to deliver the decent, affordable housing that our forces families have every right to expect."

Natalie Elphicke Ross, a housing expert and former Conservative MP who defected to Labour, will chair the defence housing strategy review.

She said: "Our pride in our armed forces must include pride in our military homes. Delivering better housing, boosting home ownership opportunities for service personnel and improving the experiences of service families will be at the heart of our work."

Reform UK MP Lee Anderson condemned the treatment of military families, saying: "While Britain's finest are forced to endure substandard housing - battling mould, rot, vermin, and crumbling infrastructure - illegal migrants are being housed in free hotel rooms and clothed at the taxpayer's expense. Labour's message is clear: come here illegally, and you'll be rewarded, all while hardworking Brits who keep this country afloat are left behind.

"This is nothing short of shameful and unacceptable. No serious first-world nation would tolerate such a disgraceful imbalance."

A spokesperson for the Army Families Federation stressed the need for a multi-year commitment to improvements, saying: "Funding for service family's accommodation will be a long-term commitment, not a short-term solution and will need consistent financial input in order to see the growth in estate that is required to meet the needs of families now and in the future."

Mark Atkinson, Director General of the Royal British Legion, said: "We welcome these important steps to improve accommodation, so that those who serve this country, and their families, can thrive.

"All serving personnel and their families have the right to high quality housing that supports modern family life. Despite investment to address specific issues, overall satisfaction with accommodation remains concerningly low. A 2024 survey showed that fewer than half of those in Service Family Accommodation were satisfied with their housing.

"In recent years RBL has supported Service families with issues including damp and mould, and people facing delays in moving into new properties. If anyone from the Armed Forces community is facing difficulties, please tell them to contact the RBL on 0808 802 8080."