Defence Secretary John Healey has declared an end to the scandal of poor military housing after improvements to 1,000 homes were completed ahead of schedule. The government has now ordered a further 250 properties to receive priority upgrades, a 25% increase on the original target set eight months ago.
The programme has seen upgrades to almost 700 properties in England, over 150 in Northern Ireland, more than 100 in Wales, and over 50 in Scotland. Work includes new flooring, boilers, heating systems, roofs, bathrooms, kitchens, windows, and doors.
Speaking exclusively to The Mirror at Colchester Barracks, Mr Healey said: "One of the biggest scandals in this country in recent years has been the shameful state of the homes that we have asked our service personnel and their families to live in." He highlighted issues such as cold, damp, leaky roofs, and mould.
Mr Healey noted that within six months of the election, 36,000 military family homes were taken back into public ownership, ending what he called the "worst ever Tory privatisation." A £9 billion investment over the next decade aims to upgrade or rebuild nine out of ten forces family homes.
Cpl Jack Crean, his partner Nina, and their one-year-old son Charlie have moved into a refurbished home at Bassingbourn Barracks in Cambridgeshire. He said: "We are really pleased to be in our new home for Christmas. Everyone is a lot happier here, especially Charlie."
Mr Healey expects the improvements to boost morale and retention, saying: "When people say why is morale at rock bottom... very often it's the quality of homes." He vowed to "fix this scandal once and for all."
