Overview

• Defence Secretary John Healey announced that service families and veterans will get first refusal on new homes built on surplus Ministry of Defence sites.
• Priority access will apply to a proportion of homes on selected developments, to be set by agreements between the MoD, local authorities and developers based on demand and viability.
• The policy comes after the government completed the purchase of 36,347 former service homes from Annington for nearly £6bn, removing an annual rental cost of about £230m.
• Labour says repurposed defence land has long‑term potential to deliver more than 100,000 homes across the country.
• A forthcoming Consumer Charter and Defence Housing Strategy will guide standards, alongside a £1.5bn pledge by 2029 to upgrade military accommodation.