What You Need to Know
For many families, living on base provides perks like affordability, convenience, and community. These are especially helpful in competitive housing markets or when you receive orders to move with limited lead time.
If you are considering living on base, your first step is to contact the local housing office. To find the housing office at your duty station, go to this Military OneSource resource locator and type in the location. You will be connected to local support services, including the housing office.
Privatized Housing Reform
In 2019, MFAN launched a survey to understand the experiences of military families living in privatized military housing. The response we received was something we never could have anticipated — nearly 17,000 families responded in one week. We learned of families living in poor conditions, and since then, the spotlight has been on military housing.
Overall, it became evident that those in leadership roles did not have a firm understanding of the poor conditions of privatized military homes. In 2020, the Department of Defense publicly stated their intention to correct this situation.
Understanding Your Rights & Responsibilities
A key outcome of privatized housing reform was the development of the tenant bill of rights, with 18 components designed to provide transparency and accountability, including:
- A dispute resolution process.
- A property maintenance history.
- Universal lease agreements.
The full tenant bill of rights can be viewed here. Of course, it is also important to remember that as tenants, we share in the responsibility. Learn about your responsibilities as a tenant here.
Navigating Challenges With Privatized Military Housing
If you and your family run into a problem with your home that isn’t resolved by a typical maintenance request, there are steps you can take.
- Contact the Property Management Office (PMO).
- Elevate the request to your Community Director.
- Submit the dispute to the Military Housing Office (MHO) and request a meeting with the MHO and Community Director.
- The MHO will elevate the request through the chain of command and discuss with the project owner (e.g., Balfour Beatty, Corvias, Hunt Military Communities, Lincoln Military Housing).
- Seek independent legal counsel.
Learn more about the tenant dispute resolution process.