Almost £3.7 million awarded to provide high quality homes for Veterans in 2024
In September last year we were delighted to launch two new Veterans’ Capital Housing Fund programmes to help increase the stock of housing available to Veterans across the UK.
Delivered on behalf of the Office for Veterans’ Affairs, the Veterans’ Capital Housing Fund supports projects that contribute to the wider aim of ending Veterans’ homelessness by providing affordable and viable homes for Veterans.
In November 2023, we followed this with the launch of a third funding programme, the Major Capital Grants Programme, supporting significant refurbishment, including extensions and new builds, of rental accommodation offering high quality support for Veterans with a housing need.
Collectively, these programmes have supported 21 projects to date, worth more than £3.8 million since December 2023.
Here’s a bit more about what these fantastic projects will achieve, and in many cases are already achieving, in support of Veterans…
Development Grants
Awarding grants up to £25,000, the Development Grants Programme supported six organisations with getting a building idea to the stage where on-site works could start. This included funding for professional support such as architects, quantity surveyors and projects managers.
In Wales, Woody’s Lodge received funding to design four sustainable living units in a rural Welsh cottage, part of a holistic initiative to combat Veterans’ homelessness. The 11-acre site will also double as a training facility, enhancing employability prospects for resident Veterans, fostering independence, and rebuilding lives.
The organisation progress so far includes the recruitment of a part-time project manager, whose involvement has been instrumental in coordinating efforts, securing volunteers, and ensuring that early-stage tasks, such as the first fix of plumbing and electrics, were completed smoothly. The commitment of local volunteers and their valuable contributions also represent a key success.
We awarded six development grants in all, worth £147,356 between December 2023 and March 2024.
Refurbishment Grants
With awards of up to £75,000, our Refurbishment Grants programme allowed organisations to refurbish or extend rental accommodation for Veterans, offering high quality support for Veterans with a housing need.
In all, we supported 11 projects between December 2023 and September 2024, worth £672,583.
The Block Armed Forces Foundation CIO were awarded £45,000 to refurbish an eight-single-occupancy-bedsit building used to house homeless Veterans in Liverpool signposted from other Veterans’ support organisations. They will also convert a commercial business office space into an area for use by the Block’s residents and homeless Veterans in transition including those with access needs.
More recently, in September this year, The Gentoo Group were awarded £39,119 to refurbish three void properties in Gentoo Group stock to create the first dedicated transitional homeless Veteran housing within the City of Sunderland.
Major capital projects
Since its launch in November 2023, we’ve been pleased to support four organisations through our Major Capital Grants Programme, worth almost £3 million.
The first of these awards went to Veterans’ Housing Scotland for them to deliver a significant refurbishment programme to improve and extend affordable housing options for Veterans with disabilities in Scotland. The project aims to prevent housing stock becoming inhabitable, deliver more safe and secure housing and wrap around support for Veterans with disabilities and their families in need.
The bulk of their work so far has been preparatory, including properties being surveyed and processes put in place.
Veterans getting back on their feet
In July this year, we made two more fantastic Major Capital awards. Bournemouth War Memorial Homes were awarded funding to construct four eco-friendly, energy efficient, affordable homes on their existing site in Bournemouth. These homes will provide additional accommodation for Veterans in need at a discounted rent, giving individuals a real chance to get back on their feet.
In Southeast England, we awarded our largest grant of £1 million to Royal British Legion Industries, for refurbishment of 28 homes within their Centenary Village, a mixed development of Veterans’ accommodation which began in 2017. The accommodation includes disability-adapted apartments, family homes and emergency accommodation for female Veterans.
Most recently, in September this year we awarded funding to Hull 4 Heroes funding for their Veterans’ Village in the North East. The village will be a self-sustaining community, providing housing units, a community support hub and bespoke training opportunities. The project also ensures community integration links to providing their transitional journey to civilian life. de Veterans and their families with an established local, safe, and stable community, aiding their transitional journey to civilian life.
More to come
We’re pleased to have supported so many great projects so far, but the opportunity to apply isn’t over yet!
A final round of the Refurbishment Grants Programme will close on 3 January 2025. Full details and eligibility for this programme are available on our Refurbishment programme page.
Our Major Capital Grants programme is a two-stage programme. Expressions of interest are welcomed by 8 January 2025 for the next round, or 18 June 2025 for the final round of funding.
Find out more
We list all of the grants we’ve awarded on our website. Take a look here.