More than £1.5 billion in additional funding for military housing will be unveiled as part of the Government’s upcoming strategic defence review, the Ministry of Defence has confirmed.
Defence Secretary John Healey announced the landmark investment during a visit to military homes in Cambridgeshire, promising it will fund vital upgrades and unlock further development over the next five years.
The money, which represents a record uplift for service accommodation, will be directed towards critical repairs – such as fixing faulty boilers, leaky roofs and combating persistent issues like damp – in a bid to significantly improve living conditions for military families.
“I’m announcing through the strategic defence review a record increase – £1.5 billion in the next five years – to upgrade military family homes,” Mr Healey said. “Our forces make extraordinary sacrifices to keep us safe and to serve this country, and yet for years, we’ve forced their families to live in substandard homes that you or I simply wouldn’t tolerate.”
The move is part of a wider strategic overhaul of Britain’s defence posture, expected to be published shortly. The review, launched last year by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, aims to strengthen the UK’s military in response to an increasingly volatile global landscape.
Mr Healey said the forthcoming review would be “the vision and direction for the way that we’ve got to strengthen our armed forces to make us more secure at home, stronger abroad”.
He added: “The world is changing, threats are increasing. In this new era of threat, we need a new era for defence.”
Alongside the commitment to 2.5% of GDP defence spending by April 2027 – and an ambition to reach 3% in the following Parliament – the Government’s renewed focus on service families’ wellbeing is becoming a central theme of its defence policy.
Last month, a new Consumer Charter for service personnel was launched, promising higher move-in standards, quicker and more reliable repairs, a named housing officer for every family, and a shortened complaints process. It also offers families greater flexibility to make minor improvements to their homes.
Mr Healey’s announcement has been broadly welcomed, but not without criticism from opposition parties who argue the funding doesn’t go far enough.
Liberal Democrat defence spokeswoman Helen Maguire urged the Government to commit to bringing all military homes up to the Decent Homes Standard – the minimum benchmark used for social housing in the UK.
She said: “I’m glad to see this Government has finally come to their senses and listened. Those bravely defending our country deserve proper housing without leaks, mould, floods, and freezing temperatures.
More Read
“But it’s disappointing to see the Government refuse to commit to bring all military homes under the decent homes standard – a change the Lib Dems will continue to champion, so no military family has to suffer in a second-rate home.”
Ms Maguire has been vocal on the issue in recent months, previously highlighting how military families were “struggling” during the 80th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day. She pointed to Ministry of Defence data showing that 442 urgent repair requests for service accommodation were logged during the week beginning 5 May.
With the strategic defence review due imminently, today’s announcement sets a strong tone for the Government’s broader vision. As global security challenges intensify, Ministers are keen to demonstrate that supporting the people behind Britain’s armed forces is just as critical as the military investment itself.
