Thousands of military homes across the UK are set to be refurbished, modernised or rebuilt under a £9bn government plan described as the biggest overhaul of Armed Forces housing in half a century.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said the decade-long housing strategy would improve almost all of its 47,700 service family homes, aiming to tackle long-standing issues of damp, mould and outdated facilities that have plagued military accommodation for years.
Defence Secretary John Healey called it “a new chapter – a decisive break from decades of underinvestment”.
“This is a building programme to back Britain’s military families and drive economic growth across the country,” he said.
Thousands of homes to be refurbished or replaced
Under the new strategy, 14,000 military homes will either undergo “substantial refurbishment” or be completely rebuilt, while the rest will receive major upgrades such as new kitchens, bathrooms, heating systems, and insulation.
The plans follow years of mounting criticism from service personnel and their families about substandard living conditions.
A Commons Defence Committee report last year found that two-thirds of homes for service families required “extensive refurbishment or rebuilding” to meet modern living standards.
The BBC previously reported in 2022 that dozens of military families were living in damp, mouldy homes with faulty heating, prompting national outrage.
Long-term neglect and broken systems
Many military families have long complained of unsafe or uninhabitable conditions. In 2022, families stationed at Sandhurst said they had spent days without heating, describing themselves as “at breaking point”.
A subsequent government report admitted the problem had persisted for years. “It is shocking that until a policy change in 2022, it was considered acceptable to house families in properties known to have damp and mould,” it said.
In response, the MoD said it was working with contractors to improve housing services — but the new £9bn programme marks the first large-scale commitment to fixing the crisis.
Part of wider defence housing reforms
The MoD’s housing overhaul forms part of a broader defence estate strategy, with £4bn of previously announced funding and additional investment for modernisation.
The department has also identified surplus MoD land that could be redeveloped to create up to 100,000 new homes for both civilian and military families.
The plan builds on a major move last year when the government announced it would reacquire 36,347 military homes from property company Annington Homes for nearly £6bn, reversing a controversial 1996 privatisation deal.
Officials say reclaiming ownership will save millions in rent and maintenance costs, allowing those funds to be reinvested into improving military housing.
‘A fresh start for service families’
The overhaul has been broadly welcomed by Armed Forces advocates, though some have warned that the government must ensure improvements are delivered efficiently and to a high standard.
For many service families, the announcement marks long-overdue recognition of their struggles.
“This is a chance to fix years of neglect,” one military spouse said. “We just want safe, warm homes for our families — nothing more.”
