RAFA Housing Limited has been awarded a grant worth thousands of pounds by the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust to help build affordable housing for RAF veterans in Eastbourne.
The grant, worth nearly £500,000, will help to convert the former RAF Association clubhouse on Wish Road in Eastbourne into independent living accommodation for RAF veterans.
The building, which was gifted to the Association by the Eastbourne Branch Club when it closed in 2023, will be transformed into ten self-contained flats for RAF veterans and their spouses, widows or widowers aged 60 and over.
The grant will be used to create three housing units in the building, which will each have their own bathroom and living, dining and kitchen areas.
Rory O’Connor, Charity Director at the RAF Association said:
“We know from our work with the RAF community that there is a real need for high-quality retirement homes in the UK, particularly among the veteran community. Thanks to this generous grant from the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust, we’re one step closer to giving even more RAF veterans and their spouses a place to call home, where they can maintain their independence while living in a tight-knit community who share an RAF connection.”
The grant was awarded by the Office for Veterans’ Affairs through the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust as part of the Veterans’ Capital Housing Fund programme. This programme supports projects that contribute to the wider aim of ending veterans’ homelessness by providing affordable homes for veterans.
Anna Wright, Chief Executive of the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust, said:
“The Veterans’ Capital Housing Fund goes beyond providing shelter. These latest awards represent a package of support that begins with a home and ultimately enables veterans to start along a path to the life they want to live.”
RAFA Housing is a division of the RAF Association that provides affordable housing for members of the RAF community. Find out more about the RAF Association’s retirement accommodation estate here: rafa.org.uk/get-support/retirement-accommodation
