It starts with a home, and changes a life
- Almost £3M awarded to 10 organisations supporting veterans across the UK.
- Over 1,000 veterans who are homeless or at risk of homelessness set to benefit from additional support.
- Alabare awarded £300K to support veterans in Wales.
- Beyond the Battlefield awarded £300K to support veterans in Northern Ireland.
- Veteran Housing Scotland awarded £290,882 to support veterans in Scotland.
- Seven organisations across England awarded a share of £2M (Full list of awards available below).
On behalf of the Office of Veterans’ Affairs, we’ve awarded a further £2,905,656 under the Reducing Veteran Homelessness (RVH) programme to organisations supporting veterans who are – or are at risk of becoming – homeless.
More than 1,000 veterans are expected to benefit from this latest cash injection to go a step further in improving the capacity and level of support offered by supported housing services to specifically meet veterans’ needs.
This is in line with findings from an independent consultation funded by the OVA and commissioned by the Trust in 2024, which found the most commonly-reported barrier to accessing housing support was the availability of appropriate support options (63%), followed by the level of support required by veterans being too complex and/or acute (52%).
Unwavering commitment to veterans
Minister for Veterans and Peoples, Al Carns, said: “This vital funding demonstrates our unwavering commitment to ensuring that no veteran faces homelessness after serving our nation.
“Building on the success already achieved through the Reducing Veteran Homelessness programme, these awards will provide life-changing support to over 1,000 veterans across the UK.
“Through VALOUR, our comprehensive veterans’ support system, we’re working to ensure every veteran has access to the housing, mental health support, and wrap-around services they need in order to thrive in civilian life. These projects exemplify the collaborative approach at the heart of VALOUR – bringing together specialist organisations to deliver tailored support where it’s needed most, helping veterans like George and James to rebuild their lives with dignity and purpose.”
Anna Wright, Chief Executive of the Trust said: “Building on the success already achieved by the Reducing Veteran Homelessness programme, these new awards will mean even more veterans can receive the wraparound support they need. Importantly, this work is taking place across the whole of UK, helping to ensure that veterans facing homelessness are not forgotten, and instead are given a chance to rebuild their lives.”
These latest 10 projects span the UK and offer a mix of bespoke support, trauma-informed counselling, wraparound support including combined addiction/mental health psychotherapy, intensive training and employment support, and holistic services. It will provide person-centred support for veterans with varying needs of varying complexity.
It will strengthen the success of the first round of awards made under the RVH programme in June 2023, which have so far seen great success including:
- timely access to therapeutic interventions
- strong partnerships with mental health services
- veterans moving into stable housing with long-term support
- coordinated interventions and targeted counselling.
In fact, the interim evaluation report shows that of the 83% of veterans seeking housing support under RVH funded projects, 61% saw improvements in housing access through consistent engagement.
Rediscovering yourself
In Wales, Alabare will support veterans in nine geographical areas to overcome barriers to sustainable independent living, enhanced by wider Alabaré services of mental health/wellbeing activities.
Veterans like George, who joined the parachute regiment aged just 18, and suffered a decline in his mental health after witnessing the violence and intolerance of ethnic cleansing when serving in Kosovo and Afghanistan.
On leaving the military, George struggled to fit back into his family home. He started to drink more and experiment with drugs, struggling with thoughts of suicide and making several attempts on his own life. George eventually became homeless and was then arrested and sectioned.
George says: “Alabare has totally changed my life. I am no longer using drugs or drinking constantly. I feel valued again, so am no longer trying to hurt or end myself. I have been supported to complete my own rough sleeper outreach. I have pride again. I have realised that things will only change if I put the work in and Alabaré have given me the space and place to put the work in. I have rediscovered myself and am excited about what the future holds.”
Rebuilding confidence
In Northern England, Launchpad will provide sustained support for homeless veterans with multiple and complex needs. Wraparound support will include combined addiction and mental health psychotherapy, intensive training and employment support, greater access to wellbeing-enhancing community activities, and support to transition into and retain independent accommodation.
James served as a Ranger in the Army, completing two operational tours in Iraq and Northern Ireland. He began experiencing symptoms of PTSD and in 2008 he was officially discharged from the military after a period of being AWOL (absent without leave).
James developed a drug dependency which caused him to withdraw from friends and family, and as his PTSD symptoms worsened, his marriage began to break down.
Desperate for help, he was referred by Royal British Legion to Launchpad who approved him for a space at Speke House. “Even though I had a roof over my head, I still felt homeless,” says James. He engaged with therapy which helped him manage his PTSD and rebuild his confidence, and began participating in activities, something he had once avoided. After 10 months at Speke House, James had made remarkable progress, securing employment in construction. “The difference is that now, I know I’m never alone—there’s always someone I can talk to at Speke House.”
Surrounded by support
In Northern Ireland, Harbour House provides shelter to veterans who are homeless or suffering from PTSD. Following the troubles in NI and the signing of the Good Friday Agreement, many service people are still experiencing the trauma they endured – often in silence.
Beyond the Battlefield brings attention to the needs of veterans and their families in NI who have found transition to civilian life very hard, even impossible. Veterans like Keith, who survived a Taliban explosion in Afghanistan that killed his interpreter, and left him in a coma for two weeks.
“There were 87 men in my regiment who were seriously injured. We were all pensioned off and left to fend for ourselves
“I was in a really bad place until I found out about Beyond the Battlefield when I saw one of its stands in a shopping centre.”
Created by Beyond the Battlefield, Harbour House offers more than just shelter. In fact, their ENHANCE project will provide 24/7 supported housing, a Northern Ireland homelessness helpline, trauma-informed counselling, and NI-wide outreach. The charity seeks to unify fragmented veteran homelessness services in NI, with Harbour House acting as the hub for delivery.
Find out more
A summary list of awards made is available below and a full list is available on our Reducing Veteran Homelessness programme page.
| Organisation | Project title | Amount awarded | Project location |
| Alabaré Christian Care and Support | Alabaré Homes for Veterans | £300,000 | Wales |
| Beyond the Battlefield | ENHANCE | £300,000 | Northern Ireland |
| Launchpad (AF&V Launchpad) | Specialist Support for Homeless Veterans | £295,324 | England |
| LiveWest Homes Ltd | New Seasons Veterans Supported Housing | £300,000 | England |
| Royal British Legion Industries (RBLI) | Helping Homeless Veterans Move On | £174,418 | England |
| The Sir Oswald Stoll Foundation | Stoll Foundation Veterans Supported Housing | £300,000 | England |
| The Riverside Group | Riverside Ending Veteran Homelessness Together | £348,975 | England |
| Tom Harrison House | THH-Reducing Veteran Homelessness | £300,000 | England |
| Veteran Housing Scotland | Reducing Homelessness for Scottish Veterans | £290,882 | Scotland |
| Wigan Council | Homes at Ease North West | £296,057 | England |