Royal Navy, Army and RAF properties in Portsmouth analysed amid plans to “stop the rot” of "substandard" houses

Minister for veterans and people Al Carns visited several properties in Hilsea to speak to serving personnel and families about their concerns. Restoring accommodation and bringing it up to standard was one of the focal points of the recently published Strategic Defence Review (SDR).

Mr Carns, who previously lived and worked in Portsmouth while serving in the Royal Marines, said the government promises to “stop the rot”. The Labour politician said: “For too long, military families have endured substandard housing with limited investment and a lack of a plan for change. That ends now.

“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.”

What are the plans in place to improve military housing?

The government recently allocated £1.5bn towards 27,200 Royal Navy, Army, RAF, and Royal Marine properties in the south east of England - fixing long-standing problems which went on for too long. This is part of a wider £7bn investment across the UK, split between the defence housing strategy and the new Consumer Charter.

Commitments in the latter legislation include higher preparation standards for houses before military families move in, clearer information for personnel ahead of moving, more reliable repairs and an online portal to report problems, major refurbishments for the worst affected houses, individual housing officers, a better complaints process and more freedoms for families to make changes to their accommodation.

Persistent issues over the years have been well documented. The Defence Select Committee in 2023 reported that two thirds of Service Family Accommodation (SFA) was “essentially no longer fit for purpose” - a major factor contributing to an ongoing recruitment and retention crisis. Damp, mould and pet infestations were just some of the issues blighting military houses.

Get The News for less than a fiver with our new value subscription package

Earlier this year, 36,347 military homes were brought back into public ownership from Annington after being sold in 1996 - 650 in Portsmouth. Surplus military land is also expected to be developed by the Ministry of Defence (MoD).

Improvements are expected to be in place by December this year, Further details will be set out in the Defence Housing Strategy, after an independent review panels confers with military personnel and loved ones.

Amanda Martin, Labour MP for Portsmouth North, said the veterans minister understands the challenges living in such properties can bring. She added: “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 – Labour’s new Consumer Charter will begin to stop the rot and put forces families at the heart of that transformation.”