ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY

Army housing remains the highest priority in a multifaceted effort to improve quality of life for soldiers and families, and initiatives to improve on-post housing have continued despite COVID-19-related restrictions, a senior Army leader said.

Under the oversight of a new Quality of Life Task Force, issues such as housing, health care, spouse employment, child care and household moves are being managed by subject-matter experts from Army headquarters and commands across the service.

The nominee to serve as Army general counsel says growing up as a military child gives her a good understanding of family housing needs. 

Michele Pearce is a former Air Force officer who grew up in a Navy family, and her husband is a retired Air Force officer. “My values and beliefs were shaped by my parents and the opportunity I had to grow up on military bases and live in integrated and diverse communities,” she said, telling the Senate Armed Services Committee she looked forward to working on diversity issues and policies related to improving housing.  

The Army is making progress on several quality of life initiatives for soldiers and families, including housing and permanent change-of-station moves, senior leaders said. 

“We have five quality of life priorities, and number one is housing,” Army Chief of Staff Gen. James McConville said during a virtual town hall on July 22. 

In addition to privatized on-post housing, McConville said the Army is investing in barracks as part of an overall effort to “invest in housing over the next 10 years.” 

A tenant bill of rights that commits the Defense Department to ensuring military families living on-post receive quality housing and fair treatment has been signed by Defense Secretary Mark Esper and the leaders of the Army, Navy and Air Force. 

The Military Housing Privatization Initiative Tenant Bill of Rights, which includes the signature of Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy, comes after widespread reports of poor maintenance, black mold, pest infestations and other issues in privatized military housing.

Military families continue to face widespread delivery delays of household goods shipments, but most claims for damaged or lost goods are resolved, a new audit report from the Defense Department inspector general found.

Army Chief of Staff Gen. James McConville has made people his top priority since he became chief on Sept. 30, setting a goal at the outset of providing “a positive climate where everyone is treated with dignity and respect.”

The Army general responsible for post housing wants to see conditions improve now and in the future.

“This is not only about day-to-day living. It is about what we want our installations to look like in 40 or 50 years,” said Gen. Gus Perna, who as Army Materiel Command’s commanding general is responsible for Army housing.

Army leaders from 34 installations and representatives from the seven privatized housing companies are coming together for a summit to review the work that’s being done to improve housing across the force.

The summit, scheduled for Jan. 14–16 at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, will be hosted by the U.S. Army Materiel Command. The command assumed responsibility for all Army housing a year ago.

The Army has selected three installations for quality of life assessments to determine how it can improve services and increase the readiness and morale of soldiers and their families.

While the Army is “focused on quality of life at every installation,” it is “conducting initial assessments at three installations: Fort Wainwright, Alaska; Fort Polk, Louisiana; and Fort Irwin, California,” Army spokeswoman Lt. Col. Crystal Boring said in an email. She said the Army’s goal is to make each of the Army’s installations an “installation of choice” for soldiers and families.

The Army is withholding incentive payments from privatized housing companies and creating 24-hour complaint hotlines in its efforts to improve on-post housing, but a lot more work remains to be done, the service’s senior leaders said.

“It is our responsibility to provide housing, not simply to code but also to quality,” Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy said, adding, “we owe it to the 45% of our force who live on-post.”

Families living in Army housing will have another chance to rate the quality of their living conditions and housing services in two confidential surveys set to be emailed on Nov. 7 and Nov. 12.

The first survey going out Nov. 7 will pertain to Army-owned and leased housing; the second survey slated to be emailed Nov. 12 will cover privatized housing. Both surveys will be open through Dec. 13, according to an Army news release.