10. Short Debate: Housing our Heroes: Are we meeting the housing needs of our veterans?

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 7:03 pm on 20 February 2019.

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Photo of Mark Isherwood Mark Isherwood Conservative 7:03, 20 February 2019

Diolch. Yesterday, the UK defence Secretary announced that service leavers and their families will now be able to access military accommodation for up to a year after leaving, giving them more time to look for permanent accommodation as they transition back to civilian life, because housing is key to veterans and their families. First Choice Housing Association, which led the way on this in Wales, delivered the ambitious self-build project for veterans in Wrexham, the third residence in north Wales to be managed by Alabare's Wales Home for Veterans, taking the charity's provision across Wales for veterans adjusting to the civilian world to 57. However, the Welsh Government's housing referrals pathway for veterans does not address the concerns of how housing officers themselves who provide the necessary support are able to manage the complex cases of rehomed veterans. Better integration of housing, health and care services is therefore needed from the Welsh Government, and they must explain why there's been a large reduction in the number of veterans households accepted by local authorities as being in priority housing need since the Housing (Wales) Act 2014 was introduced.