Communities and Local Government
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- Housing
- Housing support and adaptations
- Housing Support for Service Personnel
- Frequently asked questions about housing commitments arising from the Service Personnel Command Paper
- Use of Ministry of Defence (MOD) Void properties
Use of Ministry of Defence (MOD) Void properties
Unoccupied MOD properties can provide a useful source of temporary accommodation for Service leavers and their families until they find more settled accommodation. The Government is looking at a range of options to make best use of void MOD stock, and will work with local authorities to ensure that Service leavers who occupy such property while they are on the waiting list for social housing are not inadvertently disadvantaged.
Why should it disadvantage those seeking social housing?
Personnel will have priority for social housing if they fall within one of the statutory 'reasonable preference' categories. For example, if they become disabled as a result of being seriously injured in action, and apply for social housing, they are likely to fall within the medical and welfare reasonable preference category. If such personnel were offered suitably adapted accommodation, they might no longer be considered to have a need to move on 'medical' or 'welfare' grounds while they remain in that accommodation.
How can government ensure that such veterans are not disadvantaged in this way?
The Government will ensure that in developing options to make use of void MOD stock to provide temporary accommodation for Service leavers, MOD works with local authorities to ensure loopholes (which could lead to inadvertent disadvantages) are addressed.
What are the next steps on this commitment?
This is currently subject to discussion between MOD and CLG.
