Image of Sandon Walk, Eggbuckland, Plymouth. taken from Google Maps
Over the summer, I had the opportunity to stay at two different military housing estates. While there, I observed that many of the homes were unoccupied. The first army housing estate I visited was located in Crownhill. This estate served as emergency and permanent housing, and it was evident that many families lived there due to various challenging circumstances. The second estate I lived on was called Eggbuckland. This estate was older but had recently undergone refurbishment. From my observations, nearly 50% of the houses within Eggbuckland were empty. From my own circumstances, I knew that the rent for these military houses was priced below £500 per month. Additionally, I learned that if tenants needed furniture, the Navy offered a rental service for furnishings at a low cost of £3.50 a month.
The total number of military houses remains unclear, but I discovered that there are seven large estates situated within Plymouth. The largest of these estates is Widewell, which has gained a reputation for being particularly popular among families with children, likely due to its amenities and community environment.
image of Hillcrest Cresent, Plympton, Plymouth. Taken from Google Maps
After further research, I found that the Plymouth City Council had recently brought 86 houses to let out to the public in Hillcrest Crescent, Plympton. These new offerings consisted of 86 three-bedroom homes and included access to 80 garages and a community centre. The Council’s plan involves transforming these houses into social housing that is available at reduced rates through various government-supported schemes. Furthermore, I came across Annington Homes, which serves as the freeholder for the properties located in Plymstock, with the Ministry of Defense (MoD) renting out these properties. It was brought to my attention that the tenants of these these houses received an email towards the end of 2020. Which conveyed that the MoD intended to terminate their tenancy agreements by the end of March 2021. One tenant mentioned that approximately 80 individuals received this email, categorising the situation as a ‘mass eviction.’
This highlighted the challenging circumstances that families faced within military housing. I found statistics concerning ‘Service Family Accommodation’ (SFA) while navigating through the information available on the government’s official website. One notable trend was observed as of March 31, 2024, when there were 47,700 SFA properties across the UK. Which indicated a slight decrease of 100 properties compared to the previous year. In 2023, it was reported that 9,100 of these houses, accounting for about 19% of the total, were sitting vacant. However, 2024 saw a slight improvement, with the number of vacant homes decreasing to 8,600. The government provided several explanations for this vacancy rate, noting that the nature of military service requires personnel to move frequently. Maintaining a certain number of vacant homes is necessary to accommodate service mobility.
Some unoccupied houses may also undergo repairs, refurbishments, or modernisation processes. Another contributing factor to the vacancy issue is a decline in recruitment within the armed forces. Since the onset of the pandemic in 2020, recruitment, particularly within the Navy, has seen a steady downward trend. From March 2022 to March 2023, the intake of recruits decreased by a notable 22.1% compared to the previous year.
Consequently, this reduction in recruitment has correlated with a decrease in interest in military housing options. Another intriguing aspect of this situation is that young people in the UK are delaying moving out from their family homes, with the current average age for moving out being around 25. Many families offer reduced rent rates. Making it financially more viable for young adults to stay home rather than venture into the housing market. Even when considering the reduced rates provided by the Navy for their accommodations.
This situation raises an important question: if there are so many vacant military homes, why are individuals and families currently settled in these homes compelled to relocate elsewhere? The answer lies in the geographic distribution of the vacant houses; they are not all located within a single area. For the government to execute a buyback of a sufficient number of houses, there needs to be a specific quantity and desirable location for these homes. This situation has resulted in numerous military families relocating to other available Service Family Accommodations. Which has caused a significant upheaval in their living situations.
In a press release dated December 17, 2024, the government announced that it had successfully acquired 36,347 homes from the Military throughout Britain. This initiative is projected to generate substantial savings, estimated at over £600,000 in taxpayer money daily. This acquisition intends to re-purpose these homes for public use and enhance the quality and number of social housing. This announcement also marks the initiation of a new housing strategy for the Military, aimed to commence within the same year. The key principles in this new strategy revolve around a generational renewal of Armed Forces accommodation, expanding opportunities for service members to achieve home ownership. But also, improving the utilisation of MoD land to promote the development of affordable housing options for families across Britain.
The funds generated from this recent deal are for refurbishing other military estates. In an effort to encourage military families to consider moving into these improved accommodations. Regarding the statistics related to ‘Service Family Accommodation,’ it’s notable that the Armed Forces Covenant assessed a remarkable 95.7% of these homes as being in ‘decent’ condition. Which indicates they are generally in good shape, requiring only minor improvements. Houses deemed below the standard of ‘decent’ have not been allocated to families and are not expected to be until their conditions have been improved.
In conclusion, military housing in the UK reflects an interchange of vacant properties, family needs, and government policies. While many unoccupied homes within military estates exist. Challenges arise from their location and the need for service members to relocate frequently. The recent government initiatives, including the acquisition of homes for public use, signal a positive approach to address the housing crisis. The decline in military recruitment and changing societal trends, such as young adults delaying their independence, complicate this. Ultimately, as the military families navigate these changes, stakeholders must consider immediate housing needs and long-term solutions to ensure stability and support.