The Ministry of Defence has announced a new “Forces First” housing initiative that will provide Service personnel and veterans with priority access to homes constructed on surplus defence land. The policy forms a central element of the forthcoming Defence Housing Strategy, due for publication later this year, and is intended to both improve housing opportunities for those who have served and contribute to wider national housebuilding targets.
The Defence Secretary has highlighted the long-term potential to deliver more than 100,000 homes across surplus MOD sites, with the scheme designed to ensure that military families and veterans directly benefit from redevelopment activity. Under the approach, a proportion of new homes on selected sites will be reserved for the armed forces community, with agreements between the MOD, local authorities, and developers determining allocations based on demand and viability. This includes the option for the MOD to acquire newly built homes for Service Family Accommodation or Single Living Accommodation, ensuring modern housing stock is made available where it is most needed.
The model is adaptable and will be implemented on a site-by-site basis. Developers will be required to offer market housing to Service personnel and veterans on a priority “first dibs” basis, while affordable homes will also be directed towards the armed forces community where local authority partners support this approach. The Greater London Authority has previously adopted similar models, and these provisions can be embedded into sale conditions to ensure delivery.
A trailblazer project is already progressing at MOD Feltham in south-west London. In partnership with the London Borough of Hounslow and the GLA, the MOD has agreed to apply the “Forces First” model, with the redevelopment of the site expected to provide hundreds of new homes and create significant employment. This pilot demonstrates how surplus defence land can be repurposed to deliver both community housing and economic value while ensuring armed forces personnel are prioritised in access to new developments.
The initiative builds on recent commitments to improve housing standards for military families. In April, the Defence Housing Consumer Charter introduced new rights for Service personnel, including higher move-in standards, more reliable repair services, and designated housing officers for each family. In parallel, the Strategic Defence Review confirmed a record additional £1.5 billion multi-year investment in military family accommodation, following January’s agreement to return 36,000 homes to public ownership.
For the defence supply chain, the strategy opens new opportunities in construction, housing development, facilities management, and estate services, with long-term pipelines expected as the MOD progresses with its target to unlock surplus land for housing delivery nationwide.
