Dire state of Armed Forces accommodation is a ‘tax on the goodwill’ of those serving

“Often [there is] no heating, no hot water, and the ceiling leaked water when it rained,” they said.

“Rats would crawl through the holes in the walls and scurry around under the sink in my room. Wet and damp conditions would lead to mould and I’d find myself ill all the time.”

Poor housing conditions and services were cited as “major reasons for the fall in overall satisfaction with service life”, affecting recruitment and retention, the report said.

“Despite repeated promises to tackle the crisis, last year saw a proliferation of contract failures regarding accommodation issues, a rise in the number of complaints and a growing backlog of urgent repairs,” the report said.

Satisfaction over the quality of maintenance and repair work dropped to 25% in 2023.

The report said the MoD’s extra funding for maintenance and repairs announced last year was “a step forward, albeit long overdue”, but added that more was needed to ensure all maintenance and repairs could be carried out.

It also pointed out that some personnel were unwilling to raise their complaints due to fears over potential repercussions for their careers.

“The cumulative effects of poor accommodation have effectively become a tax on the goodwill of service personnel and their families,” the report said.

It called for more to be done to “give service personnel a stronger voice over their housing conditions and services”.

The Kerslake Commission on Armed Forces Housing was launched in February 2023 and commissioned by shadow defence secretary John Healey.

General Sir Richard Barrons, former head of Joint Forces Command, said: “For many years, the accommodation for many service personnel and their families has been poor, and in many cases unacceptable.”

Terrie Alafat, former chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Housing, said: “The commission heard that some service personnel feel they should not complain for fear of repercussions. More should be done to empower service personnel to have a voice in how they are housed.”

The research focused on service family accommodation and SLA in the UK and drew on information provided by personnel with lived experience, housing and defence experts, and representatives from Armed Forces organisations.

The report said the MoD should commission an independent survey of its accommodation and the cost of bringing it up to standard, with the results reviewed by an accredited body such as the social housing regulator.

It also recommended an overhaul of the complaints system and a review of why service personnel lack the same rights as social housing tenants.

The MoD has not responded to a request for comment.

This report follows a survey by the Social Workers Union which found that nearly two-thirds of children’s social workers report having seen families living in homes with “excessive” damp or mould.