Supporting Service personnel to love where they live
It's now been a year since the launch of the Future Accommodation Model (FAM) pilot. So far, FAM has given over 1,000 personnel across three pilot sites (HMNB Clyde, Aldershot Garrison & RAF Wittering) financial support and more choice over where, how and with whom they live.
FAM allows eligible Service personnel at pilot sites to choose a variety of accommodation options to suit their specific needs. That could mean being entitled to receiving additional financial support to rent or buy in a place that suits their desired lifestyle - whether that's closer to a buzzy town centre, nearer the peace of village life or simply buying a home to put down roots and have more stability for loved ones. Or remaining in Single Living Accommodation (SLA) or Service Family Accommodation (SFA), now with widened entitlements for those in Established Long Term Relationships (LTR(E)) and those who have visitation of their children over 80 nights.
Here's what Service personnel who have taken up FAM are saying about the pilot:
Having enough room for the family
Submariner Aaron Chapman and his wife Hannah moved out of Service Families Accommodation and into a privately rented property with their children.
Hannah said:
FAM has been a real lifesaver for us. We've now got a much bigger property, with a great kitchen as well as a front and a back garden, all for only £7 more than we were paying in SFA. Aaron's also got a garage to keep his tools in, so he's happy!
Aaron agreed:
It was a no brainer for us - we're paying pretty much exactly the same, but we're getting so much more property for our money. It's great for us and the kids to feel so comfortable and it's had a massive impact on family life. Because I know my family are happy, I'm happy to stay in the Navy.
Buying a forever home
Physical Training Instructor Peter Oswald and his wife Heather got financial support from FAM to buy their forever home in Scotland when Peter was posted to HMNB Clyde.
Essentially, we realised that as new buyers we'd be getting £125 towards our mortgage every month, which is absolutely phenomenal. Then, there's also money to cover legal fees for first time buyers too. Plus, we've been able to use Forces Help to Buy as well. We knew we had to jump on it.
The area we're moving to is gorgeous. It's also going to cut Heather's commute from 50 minutes to half that time, and I think it's important to have that little bit of space between work and home life. Plus, we're both Glasgow people and having the city on our doorstep, and the airport so close by, is amazing. It's also going to make it easier to spend more time with our families too. We couldn't be happier.
Modern parenting
Senior Aircraftman Wilson who lives in SLA at RAF Wittering learnt he could receive monthly rental payments towards a rental property of his choosing. His application was approved and with the help of FAM he'll now be able to move out of SLA to a property suitable for him and his daughter, who visits regularly.
I've had an awesome experience with the FAM cell from my initial enquiry to getting my application through JPA. They helped me choose the right accommodation for my needs as a single parent. Throughout the process the FAM Cell were always on hand to help me when I had questions about the application.
Living in a way to suit a modern relationship
WO2 Cat Boslem at Aldershot Garrison gets support through FAM to rent a home with her partner.
He's ex-Forces, having served with the Royal Engineers. He has a house in Andover where his kids are, so he was already paying the mortgage there when we met. We opted to rent because we wanted to live together. So, we found our place, which is in a gorgeous village. I love where we live." She says: "FAM is making a massive difference to me. It's the first time in 22 years I've had anything back from the Army to contribute to the way I want to live.
The future of the pilot
The FAM pilot will run for approximately 3 years. A decision will be taken in 2022 on whether to extend FAM across the rest of the UK.
