"Moral promise" made as £4.5m invested to build Royal Navy, Army and RAF veteran houses "fit for heroes"
.jpg?width=96&crop=1:1,smart)
A significant finding package has been set aside to house armed forces veterans making homes “fit for heroes”.
The government has awarded £4.5m to 19 housing providers nationally to build new accommodation. A total of 45 fresh homes will be built, with funding set aside to carry out critical refurbishment at current addresses.
Louise Sandher-Jones, Labour minister for veterans and people, said: “Every veteran deserves a safe, secure place to call home. That’s not just a moral obligation – it’s a promise this Government is determined to keep. Today marks another significant step towards delivering the Prime Minister’s pledge to provide homes fit for our heroes across the United Kingdom.
“We’re delivering real change through the Veterans Capital Housing Fund and it was fantastic to see first-hand how these homes are providing veterans and their families with the security and support they need.”
The announcement was made at The Stoll Foundation’s Kings Road Park development, alongside the opening of Valour House in Fulham. The Veterans Capital Housing Fund provides grants to organisations that house former Royal Navy, Army, and RAF personnel. Nine organisations, including those in the south east, will receive grants of over £3.9m, while ten firms already undertaking projects will receive top-up support of over £500,000.
Planned refurbishments being carried out include roof, boiler, and window replacements - as well as methods to improve accessibility. So far, the Veterans Capital Housing Fund has awarded over £12.5m of grants. The prime minister previously pledged an ambition to secure accommodation for homeless veterans. Houses built on surplus Ministry of Defence land will be prioritised for former personnel.
Will Campbell-Wroe, chief executive for the Stoll Foundation, said: “The Stoll Foundation was delighted to have the minister officially open Valour House which will provide accommodation for veterans and their families for years to come. As the only specialist veteran housing provider that is registered with the Regulator of Social Housing we are proud to provide these high-quality homes at social rent in conjunction with the Greater London Authority and the Berkeley Group.”