Redundant soldiers 'risk being homeless'

MORE than 1,000 redundant soldiers and their families may become homeless in the next two years, according to an independent report.

Yesterday, Judith Dugdale, author of a study sponsored by the Joseph Rowntree Trust, warned that unless the Ministry of Defence helped jobless servicemen to buy homes or find rented accommodation, former army families would be living in bed-and-breakfast or temporary council accommodation after being evicted from married quarters.

Ms Dugdale said: 'To put families who have served for 12 years, in places like Bosnia, and the Gulf, in temporary accommodation is not right and not fair.'

Although the highest ranking officers will receive redundancy payments of pounds 75,000, lump sums awarded to lower ranks affected by the 25 per cent cut to the armed forces were not enough for a house deposit, the report claimed. Families were also reluctant to invest in property when civilian jobs were uncertain.

Lady Elizabeth Anson, chairman of the Association of District Councils, told MPs, army officers and charity officials that there was concern among local authorities about 'a sudden surge in demand on a very limited housing supply'.

Last Thursday, 7,500 jobs were lost in the second round of the Options for Change cuts. Most of the redundancies - 37,000 over the next two years - will be from the army.

About 1,200 families are currently living illegally in army accommodation because they cannot find civilian housing. Ms Dugdale predicted that because of pressures from newly redundant soldiers returning from abroad, eviction notices may be served quickly so former army families become officially homeless and councils are legally obliged to find them temporary accommodation.

The report recommends that the MoD improve its policy of selling surplus married quarters cheap to service families, liaise with local authorities to secure rented accommodation and offer surplus properties to councils and housing associations in exchange for the right to nominate tenants.