From the archive: How the MoD’s plan to privatise military housing ended in disaster

We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors This week, from 2017: Two decades ago, the Ministry of Defence decided to sell off its housing stock. The financier Guy Hands bought it up in a deal that would make his investors billions – and have catastrophic consequences for the military and the taxpayer. By Holly Watt. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod