Britain’s armed forces housing is set for a major overhaul under a new £9bn Defence Housing Strategy that will see more than 40,000 military homes modernised or replaced while surplus MoD land is released for over 100,000 new homes.

The new 10-year plan will upgrade thousands of service family homes with new kitchens, bathrooms and heating systems, while 14,000 of the worst-condition properties will be substantially refurbished or replaced.

The new investment is underpinned by the government’s landmark Annington Homes deal, completed earlier this year, which brought 36,000 military homes back into public ownership after nearly three decades in private hands.

This secured taxpayer savings of £600,000 a day that will now be ploughed into the upgrade drive.

The programme also builds on the government’s previous allocated £1.5bn investment in the current Parliament.

Armed Forces personnel and their families will benefit from a standalone Defence Housing Service, to better manage military homes while keeping them in public hands

Also as part of efforts to unlock the wider delivery of 100,000 homes on surplus defence land, a new dedicated Defence Development Fund will recycle funds from the sale of surplus land for development, with proceeds reinvested into future projects.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “Our Armed Forces families make extraordinary sacrifices for our country, and they deserve homes that truly feel like home.

“This record investment will deliver modern, safe and comfortable housing for tens of thousands of service families.”

The strategy has been shaped by an independent review led by housing expert Natalie Elphicke Ross, who drew on feedback from more than 6,000 service families.

She said: “For too long service personnel and their families have had to put up with substandard housing. This strategy seeks to change that by fixing Defence family homes and delivering for the nation.”