Military Housing - Military Times

Base housing: Family housing

Defense Department policy calls for relying on the civilian community first to house military families. But all service personnel with family members are eligible to apply to live in privatized housing or housing owned and controlled by the government.

Once assigned to quarters, service members are allowed to live in those quarters for the length of their tour or until the member no longer qualifies for family housing. If a member’s family moves away, for example, the member usually will be asked to move out as well.

If the member is sent on an involuntary unaccompanied overseas tour, the family may get permission to continue living in military housing in the continental U.S. during the tour.

Military families are expected to keep government quarters in good condition, generally in the same manner as if they lived in community housing. They are encouraged to adopt good stewardship practices and a “pride of ownership” mind-set.

Residents generally are responsible for minor repairs, conservation of utilities, indoor cleaning and yard maintenance. The installation or privatization partner shares responsibility for maintenance of the quarters by providing major repairs and maintenance on infrastructure, appliances and common grounds. Families receive information about these responsibilities when they’re assigned to quarters.

Residents usually are not responsible for exterior painting, major repairs and maintenance, emergency repairs of major appliances and maintenance of common grounds.

Conditions. After years of concerted efforts to upgrade family housing, less than 10 percent of the military-owned housing stock remains inadequate, meaning it fails to meet standards set by the individual services for size, amenities, maintenance required or health and safety.

The Defense Department and the services have been working to improve family housing through a combination of privatization and military construction. Much of the inadequate housing has been transferred to private companies through the military housing privatization initiative, and will be fixed or replaced.

Eligibility. To qualify for family housing, a member must be living with a bona fide dependent, usually someone related by blood, marriage or legal adoption. Single members may be eligible if they are supporting children or parents who may live in the housing unit with them.

With approval from installation commanders, members may receive an out-of-turn assignment into base housing at some locations if they have unusual circumstances, such as a medical or financial hardship. Members request consideration for hardship out-of-turn assignment through their local housing office.

Some installation commanders require senior noncommissioned officers and officers in key jobs — first sergeants or unit commanders, for example — to live on base. These positions are known as “key and mission essential.”

Eviction. Base commanders are authorized to evict tenants from government housing if a service member, family member or guest fails to comply with government housing policies or is a continuing annoyance or danger to the neighborhood. In privatized housing, eviction rules generally are based on private-sector practices.

Surviving spouses and children. Family members of service members who die on active duty may remain in government housing for 365 days after the service member’s death, or continue to receive the housing allowance for that time period.

Utilities. The services are moving toward policies that require housing privatization managers to bill tenants in privatized housing for utilities. The policies vary among the services, but utility usage is monitored for certain types of units before billing begins. In some cases, if military tenants use less than the projected average for their type of home and family size, they may receive a refund. If they use more, they are billed for the overage.

Waiting lists. Most installations have waiting lists for family housing. Members may submit advance applications (DD Form 1746) or apply when they arrive at a new location. Service members should report to the housing office upon arrival.