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In the first of many schemes, Pavilion Housing Association is renting 16 maisonettes in Bordon, Hampshire, from the Defence Housing Executive, which oversees the ministry's homes.

The MoD has more than 9000 empty properties and plans to expand the scheme to other bases, but would not give details.

The homes are leased to Pavilion for two years while troops are abroad. Pavilion has rented them to nurses and teachers at rents well below market levels.

The announcement comes only a fortnight after the MoD was heavily criticised for paying 拢100m to rent homes that remained empty while troops were stationed elsewhere.

Pavilion has also redeveloped 28 former MoD homes in Aldershot, Hampshire, for rent and shared ownership.

A spokesman for Pavilion said that they planned to do further deals with government departments.

He said: "This is a growing area for us, and is so important that we created a specialist team to handle it. We see it as a way of meeting the need for affordable housing for key workers."

A spokeswoman for the DHE said local authorities sometimes turned down offers of homes on short leases because they would rather find permanent housing.

A spokesman for the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister said: "We obviously support any effective schemes which provide affordable housing through empty properties, particularly houses for key workers. Whitehall departments should be aware of empty properties and how best to utilise them."

Aaron Cahill, National Housing Federation policy officer, said: "It's a good way of bringing the empty homes into use but it still doesn't address the long-term issue of the crucial shortage of housing for people in need, whether they are key workers or other people who need affordable housing."