Homelessness charity Alabaré has welcomed a Government plan to prioritise housing for serving personnel and veterans on new homes built on surplus Ministry of Defence land – a policy announced by Defence Secretary John Healey at the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool on Monday 29 September 2025.
The Government has also pledged £1.5 billion to improve the standard of military accommodation.
Alabaré says the move could help more veterans onto the housing ladder at a time of rising need. Over the last year, the charity reports a 122% increase in referrals and has directly supported more than 150 veterans towards independent living across the South West of England and Wales.
Andrew Lord, Alabaré Chief Executive, said:
“The Defence Secretary’s pledge to give veterans and service personnel ‘first dibs’ on housing built on surplus MoD could go some way to breaking the cycle of homelessness for households before it even begins.
“We’re seeing a growing level of need within the veteran community for affordable, high-quality accommodation. Having housing on MoD land to help tackle the problem, while also improving military accommodation as a whole, is to be welcomed and we’d be keen to work with the Government on the next steps to ensure veterans are better supported as they move into civilian life.”
Why this matters locally
Andover is home to a significant Armed Forces community, with Army Headquarters based in the town and large garrisons nearby on Salisbury Plain. Local organisations – including Alabaré and Test Valley partners – regularly support service leavers and veterans with housing, employment and wellbeing. A “Forces First” allocation on new MoD land could offer another route into stable housing for veterans settling in or around Test Valley.
Residents who want to support veterans locally can:
- back Alabaré’s fundraising and outreach, or
- sign up for awareness events and volunteering through local charities working with ex-forces families.
We’ll report further once location details and timelines for the “Forces First” homes are confirmed.