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 Review of Armed Forces Housing is an independent review of service accommodation launched by Crossbench peer Lord Kerslake, a visiting professor with the Policy Institute and former Head of the Civil Service, in February 2023. The commission’s lead researchers are members of King’s, and Lord Kerslake’s legacy continues in the ongoing commission, which will:
- Assess the current position, the forces behind it and the wider impacts in past, present and future context.
- Establish a reasonable, appropriate baseline for military accommodation. The benchmarks will include the pricing, features and quality of accommodation that should be offered as standard.
- Determine what changes and costs are required to deliver reasonable accommodation in line with these.