Defence Housing Strategy
Following an announcement by Secretary of State for Defence, John Healey MP this afternoon, we are delighted to share the new Defence Housing Strategy.
Independently led by a team of experts and driven by the input of more than 6,000 service families, the strategy sets out the most significant change for Armed Forces housing in over 50 years. It marks the start of a fully costed ten-year programme to reshape, redevelop and modernise the Defence housing estate to best meet the realities of modern service family life.
We have summarised some of the key changes set out in the strategy for you and your family below:
Redevelopment and modernisation of UK SFA
- Every service family deserves a home they can be proud of. This transformation will create thousands of high-quality homes, supporting our Armed Forces and their families for decades to come.
- We will be giving over 40,000 military homes a makeover – new kitchens, bathrooms and heating systems to ensure you have what you need for comfortable modern living. 14,000 of these homes will be substantially refurbished or replaced.
- Rapid improvements are already underway through a Consumer Charter for Forces Families introduced earlier this year. New and upgraded military homes will meet modern property standards comparable to the best professional housing organisations, ensuring they are warm, spacious and of high quality.
- A new Defence Housing Service will be created as a standalone organisation in the MOD with a “Forces First” ethos at its heart and the lived experience of Service personnel and their families as its central mission. We will keep you fully informed as this develops.
- Work to raise the minimum standard of 1,000 of the worst military family homes has proceeded at pace across the UK since April 2025 and will be complete by the end of December 2025.
- A new complaints process which streamlines the process from three to two stages to achieve quicker resolution for families, was launched on 1 October 2025.
- Military life today looks different than it did years ago, and our housing policies will reflect modern family life. The Strategy sets out for the first time a deliverable, sustainable approach to widening access to accommodation for those in long-term relationships, or who are non-resident parents.
- Building the homes to meet the extra demand will take time; to support qualifying Service personnel in the interim, a rental support scheme will allow families to rent privately while homes are made available.
- Further details, including a timeline for widening access, will be provided to families as soon as possible.
- A “Forces First” approach will be taken when building housing on Defence development land whereby opportunities will be sought for Service personnel and veterans to have purchase priority for new homes. This will include discounted homes and housing organisations who provide support for veterans.
A dedicated Accommodation Support Cell and phone line have been set up to support the future planned interim rental scheme. The line is open, but please note that the operators are currently unable to provide detailed information. Further updates will be shared as soon as more information becomes available.
Tel: 0800 368 7406 or email People-Accom-ASC@mod.gov.uk
Lines are open from:
Mon-Thu 8:30 - 16:30
Fri 8:30 – 15:30
What next?
While this Strategy focusses on family accommodation, the MOD will undertake a rapid follow-on review of Single Living Accommodation in the coming months. Proposals will also be developed to address the condition and service standards for overseas family homes.
Your feedback is making a real difference, and we will continue to ensure families have a stronger voice in decisions around the future of Defence housing. The Future of Defence Housing Questionnaire received over 6,300 responses, providing invaluable insights which have directly influenced the development of the Strategy. Those of you who left contact details when completing questionnaire may be invited to share more insights in the future as the Defence Housing Review Team decide which areas they would like to focus on for future research.
As a reminder, for general queries related to your SFA you can contact your designated Pinnacle Housing Officer. For repairs and maintenance requests, please contact the National Service Centre on 0800 031 8628.
We are committed to better and clearer communication with service families and will continue to share regular news and updates about the developments of Defence housing.