Amid record-breaking spikes in rent nationally, service members and housing activists say the Department of Defense has not adequately increased housing allowances, neglecting its commitment to military families.
When Kristin Martin found out her husband was being transferred to Naval Base San Diego, securing housing for their family of five quickly took over her life.
But there were caveats. They’d have to start paying rent a month before they actually moved. And, at $4,200 per month, their rent was nearly $700 more than the monthly basic allowance for housing, known as the BAH, that her husband, a lieutenant, receives. That’s forced many to settle for substandard homes, deal with extremely long commutes or pay thousands out of pocket they hadn’t budgeted for.
Needham’s group supplies microgrants to military families in need, some of whom have resorted to food banks because their salaries do not cover such basics. And because of how tough off-base markets are, on-base housing has become a hot commodity, with many bases having long waitlists. “The Department of Defense is committed to ensuring that service members and their families have access to affordable, quality housing within a reasonable commute of their assigned duty station,” it said.
“We are woefully underhoused,” said Stephanie Poynor, a Tampa property manager and wife of a retired serviceman. “The DoD needs to recognize how much our soldiers, sailors, airmen, Marines and Coasties are really suffering in this market.” Officials are looking into adding on-base and off-base housing for MacDill, which has about 18,500 active-duty service members, she said. But because of the need for congressional budgetary approval, such long-term solutions are years away.
Brand new airmen are normally housed in dorms on base for about 36 months, but because demand for on-base housing is so high, they often only spend 18 to 20 months.In this photo provided by the U.S. Air Force, housing for service members is pictured at Mountain Home Air Force Base, April 28, 2022.
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