Portsmouth MP Stephen Morgan has slammed the government after new analysis revealed that veterans’ homelessness rose by 14% in the year 2022-23 compared to the previous year.
Labour’s analysis of the latest quarterly homelessness statistics has found there are around 500 veterans’ households being made newly homeless every three months – up to 180 households a month.
Mr Morgan criticised the Government for 13 years of failure on support for veterans which has seen a postcode lottery created and employment support halved.
Data shows that for the fiscal year 2022-23, 2,110 households containing someone who served in the Armed Forces were assessed as homeless, up from 1,850 in the previous year.
In Government, Labour will fully incorporate the Armed Forces Covenant into law to fulfil the moral contract with those who serve and make sure that former personnel have easy access to high quality, affordable homes fit for heroes.
Recently, Labour revealed that one in three service personnel are living in the lowest grade of service accommodation.
Commenting on the analysis, Portsmouth MP Stephen Morgan said:
“It should shame everyone in this Tory government that thousands more former Armed Forces personnel have been made homeless in the last year.
“One of the reasons I got into politics was to fight for people like my grandfather who was a D-Day veteran and for today’s armed forces personnel serving in our city.
“That’s why I’m proud that the next Labour government will fully incorporate the Armed Forces Covenant into law to make sure that former personnel have easy access to high quality, affordable homes fit for heroes.”
Labour’s Shadow Veterans Minister, Steve McCabe MP, added:
“Labour is deeply proud of our Armed Forces personnel, veterans, and their families for the enormous contribution they make to our country. But they are being let down by this Government.
“After 13 years of Conservative failure, Ministers have created a postcode lottery for veterans, halved employment support and more veterans are homelessness this year than last year.
“In Government, Labour will fully incorporate the Armed Forces Covenant into law, fulfilling the moral contract our society makes with those who serve and make sure that former personnel have easy access to high quality, affordable homes fit for heroes.”
The city MP has a strong record of standing up for veterans across our city, including lobbying the government on housing quality; campaigning to raise awareness of veteran ID; and similarly working with Fighting with Pride to secure LGBT+ veterans the compensation they deserve. He helped re-launch Labour Friends of the Forces as co-chair in 2020.
