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Ex-servicemen: Housing

Answer

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) encourages its serving personnel to prepare for their return to civilian life during their careers by purchasing their own homes. Measures include the Long Service Advance of Pay, an interest-free loan of up to £8,500, and the Armed Forces Home Ownership Scheme, a shared equity initiative.Further information on civilian housing is available for all Service personnel, in particular those about to return to civilian life, through the MOD Joint Service Housing Advice Office (JSHAO). JSHAO provide briefings to Service families on their housing options ranging from home ownership through to applying for social housing. Service personnel are also given information on Key Worker Living status, which has been extended to enable Service Leavers to access sponsored affordable housing schemes 12 months after discharge, as well as exploring interim solutions such as occupying empty Service Families Accommodation.For those who have already discharged, housing is a devolved matter and local authorities are responsible for framing their own social housing allocations schemes. A number of measures have been introduced that seek to make it easier for Service personnel leaving the armed forces to obtain social housing including changes to the legislation in England and Wales to ensure that Service personnel are recognised as having a local connection, through residency or employment, when applying for social housing.Single former Service personnel are able to access the SPACES (Single Personnel Accommodation for Ex Services) project. This aims to assist single Service leavers to secure appropriate accommodation as they leave the armed forces and reduce the likelihood of becoming homelessness. Mike Jackson House in Aldershot has been built on land gifted by the MOD and provides fully furnished sing room accommodation for up to 35 individuals. The latest development is The Beacon on the outskirts of Catterick Garrison, also being built on MOD gifted land, that will provide a further 31 accommodation flats from March 2011.

Secondary information

Type

Written question

Reference

15108; 515 c1314-5W

Session

2010-12

Subjects

Armed forces Housing Veterans

Link

View this Written question on www.publications.parliament.uk