The UK government announced on Saturday that it will allocate an additional £1.5 billion ($2 billion) to improve housing conditions for the armed forces. The move aims to enhance
recruitment, retention, and morale by addressing long-standing issues in military accommodation.
This funding boost will be part of the upcoming Strategic Defence Review (SDR), a 10-year plan to modernize the country's defense capabilities. The SDR is set to be published on Monday.
According to the government, the money will be used for urgent repairs and maintenance—such as fixing boilers and addressing damp and mould in service family homes—as well as for the construction of new housing.
A parliamentary Defence Committee report in December criticized the current state of military accommodation as "shocking" and warned that it could lead to personnel leaving the armed forces.
“For too long, many military families have lived in sub-standard homes,” said Defence Secretary John Healey. “This government is taking decisive action to fix the dire state of military accommodation and ensure our heroes and their loved ones live in the homes they deserve.”
With the new investment, total spending on service family and single accommodation will exceed £7 billion through 2029, the government added.