Housing boost for armed forces

The city council is proposing that the length of time that people have served in the armed forces is given the same importance as the amount of time that others have spent on its housing waiting list.

It means that ex-service personnel who have served for five years will get the same level of priority as someone who has been waiting for a council or housing association home for five years.

The proposal - which will be subject to a consultation before being formally introduced - has been welcomed by campaigners, who say many former soldiers can find themselves on the brink of homelessness when they return to the UK and have to join the back of the queue for a council house.

Army chiefs insist that the policy will address a disadvantage that many ex-service personnel face, rather than providing an unfair advantage.

Conservative councillor Alastair Paisley, himself an ex-serviceman, said: "I am delighted that they will take the length of service into account, because of the volume of disabled servicemen returning from the theatre of war.

"Body armour and such like has saved a lot of lives but not a lot of limbs so there are a lot of people returning who are missing limbs, and they need housing.

"Others come back with post-traumatic stress and other disabilities that occur later on, so non-disabled people have to be given such consideration too."

In 2009/10, there were 105 people in Edinburgh who had served in the armed forces that were categorised as homeless. Many service personnel find it difficult to get council or registered social landlord housing because they have to join the end of a lengthy waiting list.

The average home advertised on the council's "EdIndex" attracts 145 bids and there are 25,780 people on the waiting list.

The new proposals would apply to everyone who joins EdIndex within three years of leaving the armed forces.

Councillor Paul Edie, the city's housing leader, said: "I think it is important to investigate this. Many armed forces personnel have to spend time overseas and once they have served their country and finished their careers, people who have put their lives at risk to defend our values and society need consideration."

An army spokeswoman said: "It is good to see that the city council recognises that service personnel can be at a disadvantage due to the nature of their work."