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Grant Shapps MP: Armed forces must be at the front of the housing queue

GrantshappsGrant Shapps is the Housing Minister

As a nation, we need to make sure that when our brave servicemen and women need a secure, decent home, we're ready to answer their call.

It's the least we can do for our military heroes, who risk their lives to keep our country safe. But we also owe a debt of gratitude to the families that support them when they serve - and who, all too often, grieve for them when they're lost in action

In the past, their call for help has gone unanswered. The nature of military jobs - moving from base to base, serving abroad - has meant our heroes have been pushed to the bottom of the list for housing help as they couldn't prove they were from the area they wanted to live in.

Clearly, this is unacceptable. That's why I'm changing the law, so that members of the armed forces and their families are at the front of the queue for social housing when they need it most. And I'm making sure that members of the Reserve Forces, who dedicate their spare time to their country, also get the housing help they need when they're injured in action.

These men and women in uniform have answered the call of duty to their country, with their families fully behind them. Now this Government is answering its call of duty to make sure those needing the safety net of social housing are not left behind.

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