The government has introduced new legislation aimed at overhauling military housing and strengthening legal protections for service personnel and their families, including the creation of a standalone Defence Housing Service.
The measures form part of the Armed Forces Bill, introduced to Parliament last week, which will also extend the Armed Forces Covenant duty across central government, devolved administrations and local authorities for the first time. Ministers say the changes are intended to renew the “contract” between the nation and those who serve, by improving access to housing, services and support.
New housing body to drive large-scale renewal
Under the proposed legislation, the Defence Housing Service would become a dedicated organisation responsible for delivering a major modernisation programme across Service Family Accommodation. The government says the plan follows the £9 billion Defence Housing Strategy announced in November, with an ambition to renew around nine in ten forces homes and develop up to 100,000 new homes on surplus defence land.
Personnel and veterans are expected to be given priority access to homes built as part of the wider land development programme.
The MOD also pointed to ongoing work under its new Consumer Charter for forces housing, which includes higher accommodation standards, policies allowing greater personalisation of homes, and a named housing officer assigned to each family. Ministers said rapid improvement works had already been completed on 1,000 homes ahead of schedule and in time for Christmas.
Covenant duty to expand into more policy areas
The Armed Forces Bill will also extend the Covenant duty beyond its current scope, which focuses mainly on healthcare, housing and education. Under the new legislation, public bodies would be required to consider the specific needs of the Armed Forces community across additional policy areas, including social care and employment support.
Stronger recall powers for strategic reserves
Alongside housing and Covenant reforms, the Bill introduces changes to the UK’s Strategic Reserve, enabling Defence to draw more effectively on the skills of former regular personnel in times of crisis.
Measures include:
- increasing the maximum recall age from 55 to 65
- aligning recall periods across the three Services
- lowering the threshold for recall to include “warlike preparations”, rather than only national danger or attack
The government said the changes reflect lessons from Ukraine and bring the UK closer to approaches used by NATO allies.
Protections for victims and stronger counter-drone powers
The Bill also includes provisions intended to strengthen support for victims of serious offences, including sexual offences, and introduces further measures linked to the government’s broader commitment to halve violence against women and girls within a decade.
It also proposes new powers to help deter and respond to drone incursions over Defence sites, amid growing concern about the threat posed by uncrewed systems.
Defence Secretary John Healey MP said the legislation would deliver “the biggest improvement in forces accommodation for a generation” and ensure more consistent support for personnel and families across government.
