Portsmouth councillors to debate urgent action on military housing
A new motion calling for urgent action on derelict military housing and stronger support for veterans will be debated by Portsmouth City Council on Tuesday, 11 November.
Proposed by Councillor George Fielding and seconded by Councillor Yinka Adeniran, the motion aims to make the city a leading partner in the government’s new veterans’ housing scheme.
The motion states that “Portsmouth maintains a proud and historic association with the Royal Navy, the Armed Forces, and the veterans’ community, and is home to thousands of service personnel and their families.”
It follows a report in The Portsmouth News earlier this year which revealed that dozens of former Service Family Accommodation (SFA) homes had been declared “unfit for human habitation” due to damp, mould, and disrepair – forty-four such properties are currently empty across the city.
The government’s £50m VALOUR (Veterans Accommodation and Liaison for the Unity of Resettlement) programme was announced in May. It aims to coordinate housing, health, and welfare services for ex-service personnel across the UK.
According to the motion, “refurbished and re-purposed military housing in Portsmouth presents an opportunity to address local housing shortages and to prioritise accommodation for veterans, service leavers, and their families.”
If approved, the council would “formally express full support for the UK-wide VALOUR network” and “commit to ensuring Portsmouth’s inclusion in the network’s regional delivery structure.”
It would also back “the restoration, refurbishment, and reuse of former MOD and military housing in Portsmouth,” exploring options such as council acquisition or partnership management to bring the homes back into use.
A progress report on Portsmouth’s engagement with VALOUR is expected to come before full council in July 2026 if the motion passes.
In June, it was reported that many SFA homes remained empty after being returned to public ownership in December last year.
The Ministry of Defence purchased 501 properties in the city, but 44 of them were not fit for occupation, some were declared “unfit for human habitation”.
At the time, Portsmouth North MP Amanda Martin described seeing disused military homes with “black mould-covered walls in Hilsea” and “damp, cold, and taped-up windows in Farlington.”