Armed Forces accommodation branded shocking as MPs call for urgent action
A third of Single Living Accommodation (SLA) and two-thirds of Service Families Accommodation (SFA) are in such poor condition that they are no longer fit for purpose, according to a report by the Defence Select Committee.
Billions of pounds of investment is now required to refurbish and rebuild military housing to meet modern living standards.
Service families are also found to be facing continued uncertainty over being allocated places to live.
MPs are calling for the MOD and Treasury to make ongoing funding commitments to improve the defence estate before it "deteriorates beyond repair, and before greater numbers of personnel decide to leave the military because of poor accommodation".
The report also asks for the government to lay out investment plans in detail.
It concludes that the current levels of funding are not enough to bring all service accommodation up to the required modern standard.
MPs criticised historic under-investment in the defence estate, highlighting the very low rates of satisfaction with service accommodation and acknowledging the "botched roll-out of the new accommodation offer" earlier this year.
The report says that the Defence Infrastructure Organisations (DIO) contractual arrangements for the maintenance and repair of its accommodation have resulted in poor contractor performance, poor quality of maintenance and repair work, and a poor lived experience for many serving personnel and their families.
Anonymous accommodation feedback
Permission was given for service personnel to contribute anonymously to the report.
Service personnel in SLA described issues such as a lack of hot water for months in winter, heating failure, flooding, damp, rat infestations, and inadequate facilities for washing and cooking.
The committee heard one example at RAF Odiham of three toilets and showers being shared by 23 occupants.
Another contributor in SLA wrote to the committee, saying: "I had an issue with effluent fluids coming through my ceiling. I had to push for anyone to look at it let alone fix the issue, it took months to fix it."
The first-hand accounts reflected concerns highlighted in the report that the bad experiences of service accommodation are leading some to leave the military.
"To offer houses to people, only to find out that they are uninhabitable just days before move-in, is not acceptable," said one account.
It added: "I have been traumatised by this experience to such an extent that, with all sincerity, I would rather end my service than be forced to move again.
"I simply cannot stomach the risk or thought of putting my wife and children through such a painful experience again."
The right to safe and decent accommodation
Defence Select Committee chair Tan Dhesi told BFBS Forces News: "Our brave servicemen and women and their families have a right to live in safe, decent accommodation.
"Yet evidence received recently by the committee exposes the unacceptable conditions that many are having to endure. Service families' trust has been further eroded by ongoing maintenance issues.
"It is simply not acceptable to expect those who fight for their country to live in housing with serious damp and mould – conditions that pose a danger to their and their families' health.
"It is clear that many of these problems cannot be solved without major investment in the defence estate."
He concluded: "However difficult public finances might be, the Ministry of Defence and Treasury need to find a way to work together to make sure that all service housing on offer genuinely meets a decent standard.
"The Ministry of Defence's mishandled announcement on the allocation of service accommodation has also left people in a state of uncertainty.
"Both low-quality accommodation and uncertainty over eligibility will only compound the recruitment and retention crisis facing our Armed Forces.
"Suitable accommodation is a key part of the offer to our Forces.
"If the Government is serious about addressing declining morale and low recruitment, then it needs to act fast."
The committee urges the new government to announce what its plans are to combat the range of issues and says so far there has been no update on how they are going to try to tackle this.
Privatisation of military housing
The report cites a decision made back in November 1996 when the MOD sold most of its housing stock (57,400 properties) in England and Wales to a private company, Annington Property Limited (APL), for £1.7bn.
The homes required for service families were then leased back on a 200-year lease, with the condition that the MOD would hand surplus properties back to APL.
The reports found this deal left the government trapped, paying for both the maintenance and the rent (albeit at a discounted rate), but unable to benefit from the increase in the properties' value or to demolish and rebuild or pursue potential development opportunities.
It says the MOD is contractually obliged to hand back possession of a certain number of homes per year to APL and must return them in the required condition or pay dilapidation fees, diverting resources away from investment in homes occupied by service families.
The National Audit Office estimated in 2018 that over the first 21 years of the contract, the MOD was £2.2bn to £4.2bn worse off than if it had kept the properties, and the Public Accounts Committee concluded that the deal was "disastrous" during its military homes inquiry in 2019.
While one of the objectives of the sale was to release funds to invest in upgrading SFA, in fact only £100m (6.25% of the proceeds of the sale – £200m at present-day values) was invested in SFA, with the rest being returned to the Treasury.
This amount is less than the DIO planned to spend on SFA improvements in 2023-24 alone.
From 2010 to 2022, the MOD made no provision for proactive or preventative maintenance work to service families' homes.
The report says the MOD is currently pursuing a test case to try to take back freehold ownership of some properties from APL.
The High Court ruled on 15 May 2023 that the MOD had acted lawfully in issuing enfranchisement notices.
APL has appealed, and the hearing is currently scheduled to take place in May 2025.
The Defence Select Committee report also highlights problems with the contractors responsible for fixing military accommodation.
It says the Defence Infrastructure Organisation has been withholding profit where the contractors have failed to achieve the minimum Acceptable Level of Performance (ALP).
Contractors funded £2.15m in compensation payments to service personnel between April 2022 and October 2023 for missed appointments, failed move-in to SFA, subsistence costs for temporary accommodation, incorrect tradesperson, total loss of heating and total loss of cooking facilities.
According to the MOD, there have since been significant improvements, with all three contractors having recruited more staff and performing well against their key performance targets in February 2024, highlighted by improved response times and fewer complaints and compensation claims.
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