The Home Front

American general William Tecumseh Sherman famously declared “war is hell”, but the reality of armed conflict is that those involved are affected long after leaving the battlefield.

Fresh hardship often awaits ex-armed forces personnel and their families when they return from their tour of duty, and housing needs are high on the list of challenges they face.

As Remembrance Sunday approaches, Your Move takes a look at the housing initiatives for military veterans in the Liverpool City Region and how they’re helping former soldiers make a smooth transition upon their return to civilian life.

Words by Mark Langshaw

A stint in the armed forces can be life-changing for service personnel and their families, with many returning from the frontline bearing mental and physical scars.

Some veterans require day-to-day care and support while others fall upon hard times as they struggle to readjust and reintegrate themselves into society.

Housing needs are among the biggest issues facing military veterans, and here in the Liverpool City Region initiatives are in place to assist them once they’re ready to set up home again.

The Liverpool Veterans Project (LVP), a support organisation established by Breckfield & North Everton Neighbourhood Council, has helped house or rehouse 148 local military veterans and their families in the last three years.

“Homelessness and housing needs among veterans is one of the biggest issues that LVP deals with,” Jimmy Culshaw, the organisation’s veterans housing officer tells Your Move. “Veterans may have a roof over their head but the property may not meet their needs. For instance, it may have damp or be inappropriate for their mobility issues.

“A number of veterans may be sofa surfing, sleeping at friends’ or families’ and don’t have a home of their own, and a small number are actually sleeping rough.”

Through partnerships with organisations including homeless charity Shelter and the Royal British Legion, LVP devises support plans for ex-service personnel affected by housing issues, which may include helping them secure accommodation at specialist developments such as Speke House.

Speke House, where LVP is based one day a week, is a subsidised rental scheme in South Liverpool for service veterans and their partners.

“It’s a 52-bed unit established for ex-service personnel who require ongoing support,” explains LVP chairman Bob Blanchard. “Speke House offers stop-gap accommodation for up to two years and the services it provides enables veterans to live more independently in the community.”

Speke House isn’t the only residential development of its kind in the Liverpool region and the good news is that more appear to be on the horizon.

“A number of veterans may be sofa surfing, sleeping at friends’ or families’ and don’t have a home of their own.”

Former soldier Darren Crouch set up Veterans Facility Services (VFS) after leaving the military and returning to college to train as a builder. The company, which undertakes property repairs and maintenance using both ex-forces and civilian tradesmen, is in the process of converting an abandoned three-storey property in the L6 area into homes for veterans.

“The house that we’re converting changed the dimension of what we originally planned,” says Darren. “The owner donated the use of the building to us on a long-term tenancy so we can support and home ex-servicemen and women.

“Given the size and scope of the building, it now allows us the opportunity to bring in multiple initiatives that could possibly help not just ex-forces but the wider communities of Liverpool.

“Giving the ex-forces community the chance to lead on this project offers certain individuals an alternative to medical intervention, as there are many ex-servicemen and women who don’t require medical treatment, but struggle to find full-time employment. Hopefully this will give them the chance to slowly reintegrate themselves into the wider community.”

Darren, who was inspired to start the project after featuring in a special veterans edition of BBC television show ‘DIY SOS’, has entered talks with Liverpool City Council and a housing association to explore the possibility of restoring other empty properties across Merseyside.

Although local endeavours like this one are fighting the cause on the home front, widespread housing schemes are also doing their part to help Liverpool’s veterans return to civilian life.

Charity group Haig Housing Trust has more than 1,400 properties across the country on its books, including the Liverpool-based Ogden Close estate on Muirhead Avenue and Heath Road in Allerton.

These developments are usually rental schemes geared towards the needs of veterans, set amid small, well-maintained estates.

“Haig’s properties – a mix of family-sized houses, maisonettes and flats – are spread throughout the United Kingdom in over 50 different local authorities,” says Bob. “The properties are for rental only at a charitable rent roughly comparable to the rents charged by local authorities.

 

 

“Haig offers general needs housing and special housing solutions for severely wounded and disabled service and ex-service personnel which include options other than just rental, like Shared Ownership for example.”

Merseyside’s veterans can also turn to local authorities in times of housing need as they are entitled to support under the terms of the Armed Forces Covenant, a government pledge to ensure members of the armed forces are treated fairly and recognised for the sacrifices they’ve made.

“Having the Armed Forces Covenant in place means veterans who approach the council for housing support are able to be processed through the Housing Options Service, which gives priority to ex-service personnel and their family members,” says a Knowsley Council spokesperson.

“Within Knowsley, the Housing Options Service has proven successful for ex-servicemen and women who have applied for such support.”

Although the Liverpool City Region’s local authorities appear to have had some success meeting the housing needs of the veteran community, Darren believes more collaboration is needed between the charities, councils and individuals striving towards the same goal.

“With so many charities raising millions in revenue, it’s time Liverpool took on the challenge of supporting all ex-servicemen and women who need housing or rehousing,” he says. “There are enough empty properties here, but it’s often left to individuals like us to raise the profile.

“We’re hoping to convince the council, charities, businesses and individuals to get on board with our housing project because we want to help as many communities as possible.”