Leading Wiltshire-based charity, ALABARÉ, is continuing its expansion of support for homeless veterans, with a new 6-bedroom property opening in Devizes.
The additional home brings the total number of bedspaces in the charity’s home county, specifically for former military personnel at risk of homelessness, to 24 across four properties, following the opening of a new property in Salisbury last month, as ALABARÉ works to meet an increasing demand for services.
The charity’s latest Impact Report shows a 21% rise in referrals during 2025/26 from people experiencing homelessness and in need of support.
The Devizes property has been officially opened this week (Tuesday, 22 September 2026) by the town’s Mayor, Councillor Vanessa Tanner, and the High Sheriff of Wiltshire, Dr Alexander Goodwin.
How Homes for Veterans Give Clients Hope
ALABARÉ has 19 Homes for Veterans across the South West of England and in Wales, each offering bespoke and trauma-informed support, to ultimately break the cycle of homelessness.
The properties provide safe, secure accommodation while clients are also given support to boost their physical and mental wellbeing, build practical life skills, access training and volunteering opportunities to gain employability skills.
The lived experience of many ALABARÉ colleagues within the veterans’ services, either through serving themselves or close connections, provides an additional level of understanding and helps to improve engagement.
Andrew Lord, Chief Executive of ALABARÉ, explains why Devizes has been chosen as a location for the latest property:
“We all know that across Wiltshire, the military plays a very important part in the community. There are thousands of soldiers based here, and equally there are thousands of veterans who are living in Wiltshire too. At ALABARÉ we’ve been developing our Homes for Veterans in Salisbury, so it seemed only natural to expand that out to Devizes.
“Our houses are about getting a veteran off the streets or getting someone who’s at risk of homelessness into stable accommodation, but really that’s just the starting point. Through our wellbeing programmes, we’re looking to support the veteran to either develop new skills or tap into skills they’ve built up during their time in the military. We hope that when the veteran leaves us, they’re able to maintain independent living and progress into employment or volunteering.”
The Devizes property has been leased to ALABARÉ and is owned by Wiltshire Council’s housing company, Stone Circle, who provide affordable housing to people in the county, which is then reinvested into local housing provision.
‘It’s Like Coming Home’
Charles Rhodes served 22 years in the British Army and has been with ALABARÉ since late 2025, after a period of sleeping in his car following a relationship breakdown and financial concerns.
He spent a short time in the charity’s veterans’ services in Gosport, before transferring to one of the Salisbury properties in January 2026.
Charles will be among the first clients moving into the Devizes Home for Veterans in the coming days, and says he’s excited:
“I got to pick my own room, so I’m very pleased about that. When the opportunity came to move to Devizes, I snapped it up, and I’m chuffed to bits. It’s very near to my old stomping ground – 8 miles from the pub where my friends meet up every Thursday, 9 miles from where my children live, there are shops around the corner, and I’m registered with the doctor and dentist in Devizes as I never moved them (when I became homeless), so it’s like I’m coming home; it’s fantastic!”
Veterans accessing ALABARÉ support can spend up to two years in the temporary accommodation, with the average length of a stay currently at one year and 18 days.
The charity saw 58% of its clients successfully moving into long-term independent living during the last financial year.
Demand from veterans at risk of homelessness is increasing, however, with the issue affecting around one in every 400 former military personnel, according to Government statistics.
Jamie Coltman, Senior Service Manager in the veterans’ service for the South of England, said:
“It’s an exciting opportunity for us to grow and develop to support the veteran community. But while it’s fantastic that we’re offering these homes to get veterans off the streets, it’s also unfortunate that there’s a need for it.
“We aim to have the first people moved in over the next week, with the rest likely to be filled by the end of next month – that’s how quickly we’re seeing the referrals coming in to us. We offer a person-centred and holistic approach with staff who are highly trained and specialised, with a real dedication and passion for what they do. I can’t thank colleagues enough for what they do, and I know many veterans who have moved on to independence would want to pass on their thanks too.”
