The state of navy lodging is “shocking”, with two-thirds of service household properties “in such poor condition that they are essentially no longer fit for purpose”, a report by MPs has discovered.
The Defence Committee highlighted persistent points with damp and mildew and urged the Ministry of Defence and the Treasury to commit extra funds to enhance all the navy property “before it deteriorates beyond repair”.
The MPs warned that extra troopers, sailors and aviators would vote with their toes and give up the armed forces until long-standing issues with housing are resolved.
Service households’ belief within the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) – the department of the MoD that oversees navy housing – and the contractors that present upkeep providers “has been damaged” and must be rebuilt, in line with the report revealed on Wednesday.
Claims by the MoD that the service supplied by contractors is recovering “need to be borne out in a demonstrable improvement in the customer experience and markedly increased customer satisfaction”, the MPs stated.
Tan Dhesi, chair of the Defence Committee, stated: “It is simply not acceptable to expect those who fight for their country to live in housing with serious damp and mould – conditions that pose a danger to their and their families’ health.
“It’s clear that many of those issues can’t be solved with out main funding within the Defence property.
“However difficult public finances might be, the Ministry of Defence and Treasury need to find a way to work together to make sure that all Service housing on offer genuinely meets a decent standard.”
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The 55-page report – entitled Service Lodging – presents proof heard by a earlier iteration of the committee over the last parliament.
Considerations concerning the state of navy housing should not new, following a long time of underinvestment and mismanagement of the property, which includes practically 50,000 properties for service households in addition to greater than 130,000 “bedspaces” for people who find themselves residing alone or solely require a room.
Nonetheless, the final authorities had pledged to make dramatic enhancements to lodging after new circumstances emerged of horrific damp, rat infestations, mould and heating issues.
Setting out the size of the problem, the report stated: “A third of Single Living Accommodation and two-thirds of Service Families Accommodation are in such poor condition that they are essentially no longer fit for purpose. It would require billions of pounds of investment to refurbish or rebuild all military housing to meet modern living standards.”
The MPs quoted proof from Michael Inexperienced, chief government at DIO, who described the state of the property as “shocking”.
It was an outline the report then echoed when addressing circumstances of mould.
“It is shocking that, until a policy change in 2022, it was considered acceptable to house families in properties known to have damp and mould. However, issues with damp and mould still exist.”
A Ministry of Defence spokesperson stated: “This report lays bare the dire state of service accommodation this government inherited and is determined to fix.
“We’re delivering our Plan for Change by renewing the nation’s contract with those that serve, and we’re working exhausting to enhance the standard of housing for our personnel and their households – together with creating new requirements for service lodging.
“We are committed to listening to our people and are establishing an Armed Forces Commissioner to act as a strong, independent champion for personnel and their families to improve service life.”
