1 in 3 of service personnel in our area are living in the lowest grade of service accommodation, shocking figures have revealed.
Ministry of Defence (MoD) data uncovered by Labour shows that 4,960 of personnel in Portsmouth and across Hampshire live in Grade 4 Single Living Accommodation, the lowest rating given by the MoD.
Across the country, almost 39,000 members of the armed forces live in Grade 4 accommodation. A further 4,360 personnel live in accommodation so poor that no rental charge is levied. Just 21% live in the top ‘Grade 1’ accommodation, the lowest proportion since 2018.
The Ministry of Defence awards grades to its Single Living Accommodation based on ‘deficiency points’ allocated across 14 categories. Points are apportioned for the condition of bedroom decoration, fixtures and fittings, adequacy of heating systems and the proximity of toilet and washing facilities, among other factors.
There is currently no minimum quality standard set for Single Living Accommodation and no minimum acceptable conditions that service personnel should expect. A 2021 National Audit Office report on Single Living Accommodation exposed ‘decades of underinvestment’ and ‘problems with heating and hot water.’
Labour has commissioned an independent review of defence accommodation, chaired by crossbench peer and former Head of the Civil Service, Lord Bob Kerslake.
The commission will bring together experts from fields including health, housing and the armed forces.
Stephen Morgan, Member of Parliament for Portsmouth South, said:
“The Government is failing in its duties to our forces, who continue to live in shameful conditions while serving our country.
“Our armed forces personnel and their families in Portsmouth and across the country deserve better than having to put up with broken boilers, water pouring into homes, mould, vermin and endless waits for basic repairs.
“Ministers have been told about problems with poor accommodation for years, but they have taken no action. Only a Labour government can fix 13 years of broken defence housing policy, delivering homes fit for our armed forces heroes”.
Labour’s Homes Fit for Heroes campaign is compiling evidence on the state of military accommodation which will be submitted as evidence to review. Personnel and their families can submit their views at https://labour.org.uk/homesfitforheroes/
