“Ministers must urgently confirm that they will keep funding the accommodation it provides.
“Those who served our country must be protected. The least our veterans deserve is a roof over their heads.“
Starmer previously gave Op FORTITUDE £3.5 million in funding – the approximate cost of just one Boxer armoured vehicle, based on a contract awarded in 2020.
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The chief executive of Alabaré, which had used Op FORTITUDE cash to fund 90 bed spaces and keep 162 veterans off the streets in one year, said his organisation would face the difficult task of filling a £300,000 gap – or face closing their accommodation.
Lee Buss-Blair of Riverside, which co-ordinates the hotline as well as providing accommodation, said his organisation would likely have to stop providing high-needs supported housing for veterans if the money dried up.
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The MoD announced £4.5m in new funding on Friday (October 31) to build 45 homes for veterans and improve more beyond that. But that announcement contained no new detail about Op FORTITUDE and whether it was set to continue beyond March 2026.
Those involved in the scheme said funding for the hotline and services portion of Op FORTITUDE would be renewed, but they remained in the dark over cash for the scheme’s 900 bed spaces.
Cartlidge’s comments added to “anger” from Johnny Mercer, who introduced Op FORTITUDE while veterans’ minister.
“On one hand this government say they will look after veterans. But when they think no one is looking, they turn off the funding which I left in place to ensure that no veteran would sleep rough because of a lack of provision,” Mercer told Big Issue. “It’s appalling. But entirely in line with their approach of trashing everything I built, before systematically dismantling it. It makes me very angry.”
Latest homelessness statistics show just one in 100 rough sleepers in London are UK veterans, and there is no compelling evidence they are more likely than other groups to become homeless. However, veterans’ organisations say they face specific obstacles related to their service – such as trauma and an institutional reluctance to ask for help – which mean they need tailored support.
A MoD spokesperson told Big Issue: “We are committed to ensuring veterans and their families across the UK have access to housing support they need, aligning with the Prime Minister’s pledge to provide homes for heroes.
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“We have committed £3.5 million to veteran homelessness services including Op FORTITUDE, the single referral pathway for veterans experiencing or at risk of homelessness. On top of this, we have changed the law to make it easier for veterans to access social housing in England and in the last week have awarded £4.5 million of grants to refurbish and build new social and affordable housing for veterans”.
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