Read the Commission's final report
Provision of subsidised accommodation to treat as a home is a cornerstone in the offer to serving armed forces personnel and their families. The Armed Forces Covenant states that service accommodation should be of “good quality, affordable and suitably located”. It should facilitate the unique demands of service life; readiness for geographic mobility, lack of choice between location or accommodation options, and acceptance of the remoteness of some military bases. It is a critically important part of the overall military package for service personnel and their families.
But despite its vital role, there have been longstanding failures to deliver on such an offer. Lack of meaningful progress has now led to a service that many regard as in crisis. Inadequate accommodation is draining operational capacity by presenting a real challenge to both the health of serving personnel, as well as recruitment and retention. The failure of previous government efforts to make a real impact makes a compelling case for an independent review.
The Kerslake Commission on Armed Forces Housing was launched in in February 2023 by the late crossbench peer Lord Kerslake, who was a visiting professor with the Policy Institute and former Head of the Civil Service. The final report of the Commission behind the review sets out the poor condition of armed forces accommodation and what needs to change.
The chair of the Commission was the late Lord Kerslake. The other Commissioners are:
- General Sir Richard Barrons, former Head of Joint Forces Command
- Brendan Sarsfield, former Chief Executive of Peabody housing association
- Professor Nicola Fear, Co-director of the King’s Centre for Military Health Research
- Terrie Alafat, former Chief Executive of the Chartered Institute of Housing
- Darren Rodwell, leader of Barking and Dagenham Council
- Dr Lisa O’Malley, researcher at the Centre for Housing Policy and Senior Lecturer at the University of York