Armed Forces Personnel Housing

The Government recognises the sacrifice members of the Armed Forces make to defend our liberty. It is committed to ensuring that serving Service Personnel, veterans and their families have the support that they need, and are treated with the dignity they deserve.

To deliver this commitment, the Armed Forces Covenant (external link), outlines the positive measures being taken by Government to ensure that the Armed Forces Community face no disadvantage compared to other citizens in the provision of public and commercial services.

Linked to this, Department for Communities and Local Government is is making sure that current and ex-service personnel get the accommodation that they and their families need. Following a summit chaired by the Housing Minister with representatives from the housing, military and charity sectors, the following steps are being taken to ensure that service personnel receive top priority for housing;

Placing members of the Armed Forces at the top of the priority list for Government-funded home ownership schemes, including FirstBuy, and instructing special agents to visit military bases to promote such schemes.
Working with credit reference agencies and Royal Mail to standardise British Forces' Post Office addresses so personnel are not disadvantaged when applying for mortgages.
Consulting on plans to change the law so that former personnel with urgent housing needs are always given high priority for social housing, and personnel who move from base-to-base do not lose qualification rights.
Issuing statutory guidance to councils on the allocation of social housing, setting out how their allocation schemes can give priority to current or ex-service personnel, including using local preference criteria and local lettings policies.
Accelerating the release of surplus public land with enough capacity to build up to 100,000 new homes by 2015. Subject to planning, the sites may have the potential for homes that could benefit ex-service personnel.
Encouraging custom build housing, so that more schemes are designed by, and for, ex-service personnel, such as an innovative scheme in Bedminster.
Working with specialist agencies to prevent homelessness amongst ex-service personnel, including through enhanced resettlement support for early service leavers.
Providing Disabled Facilities Grant funding so that home adaptations can enable disabled service personnel to live independently. Disabled Facilities Grant will rise to £185m by 2014/15.
Ensuring that national planning rules are sufficiently flexible to support applications from disabled ex-service personnel for homes that suit their needs.

Further information about each of these measures, as well as action points arising from the summit, can be found below.