The Ministry of Defence has been looking at how it can improve the accommodation offer for service personnel, to make it fairer and more flexible, whilst keeping it affordable for the MOD…
Starting in September 2019, the MOD has decided to pilot a new way of providing living accommodation to personnel and their families. The Future Accommodation Model (FAM) pilot will test the new policy that has been developed, the way it is delivered to personnel, and what accommodation options they prefer. A decision will be made about whether to roll out FAM across the UK after the pilot is complete.
The current accommodation system was developed many years ago and we know it works well for some people. However, there are a number of reasons why MOD think it needs to change:
- the current accommodation model does not support how some personnel want to live, meaning that some have no choice but to opt out of subsidised accommodation
- the current system is based in part on rank, rather than need, for example, the size of a service person’s family
- the current accommodation system has large overheads and an increasing need for repairs. It is also inefficient, as large numbers of houses have to be kept empty to allow personnel to move around
The FAM pilot will:
- provide more choice to more personnel over where, how, and with whom you live
- provide you with an accommodation subsidy based on your need, rather than rank or relationship status
- enable you to remain mobile, while also providing support if you want greater stability for yourself and/or your family
The FAM pilot will take place across 3 sites in the UK with a limited number of personnel and units invited to take part. The pilot will enable the MOD to test the proposed policy and gather feedback from personnel so that improvements can be made to the final policy.
The FAM pilot will be launched on 30 September and run for approximately 3 years. The sites taking part in the pilot have been selected by the front-line commands and endorsed by their boards.
- HMNB Clyde 30 September 2019
- Aldershot Garrison 31 January 2020
- RAF Wittering 31 May 2020
