Service families will benefit from the newly introduced Armed Forces Bill which promises better housing, better services and better protections for our forces and their families.  

The Bill will create a new Defence Housing Service, which will have a simple ethos – to put the needs of forces and their families first and drive the biggest improvement in forces accommodation for a generation.

The Defence Housing Service will deliver on the recommendations of our Defence Housing Strategy which was announced in November and is backed by £9 Billion of investment to build, renew and repair 9 in 10 defence family homes, harnessing the opportunities created by our landmark deal which brought 36,000 properties into public ownership.

 Some families currently living in SFA have already started seeing improvements through our delivery of the Consumer Charter commitments. One of these commitments was to deliver the urgent renovation of homes most in need of repair. These rapid improvement works were completed on 1,000 homes ahead of schedule and in time for Christmas as we marked the one-year anniversary of the return to public ownership of more than 36,000 homes.

The Consumer Charter also committed to introducing basic consumer rights for Service families, including essential property information and higher move-in standards, more reliable repairs, a named housing officer for every family, and access to a robust complaints system – helping to deliver homes fit for our heroes. The newly introduced Defence Housing Service will go beyond this and will kickstart the development of homes on surplus defence land, building 100,000 new homes with forces and veterans given ‘first dibs’ priority for new homes.

In recognition of the Bill being introduced, the Defence Secretary has been in Scotland visiting some of the more than 200 homes in Argyll & Bute which were upgraded as part of these works. 

Defence Secretary, John Healey MP said: 

“Our Armed Forces make extraordinary sacrifices to keep this country safe. In return, they deserve homes fit for their families and the support of a nation that proudly values their service.”

“This Bill delivers rapidly on our commitment to renew the nation’s contract with those who serve. Through this legislation, a new Defence Housing Service will drive the biggest improvement in forces accommodation for a generation, we will ensure reserve forces can step up when needed and we will extend legal protections so that every part of government considers the needs of our service personnel and their families.“

Families living in SFA will continue to receive updates on the development of the Defence Housing Service, how it is improving outcomes for Serving Personnel and their families living in SFA and any changes it may introduce.

Further details on the full package of measures introduced through the Armed Forces Bill can be found here.