Colorado Springs Military - When Christine Martin found out her husband had been transferred to Naval Base San Diego, finding a home for the five of them quickly took over her life.
Online housing is not an option — the waiting list for four-bedroom apartments in neighborhoods that qualify is 14 to 16 months.
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Not only were there military-hotels near the place where new arrivals could pay a low price if they could get their skins—they were also full.
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So Martin cast a wide net in San Diego and began applying for apartments, not everyone in sight.
"I woke up and the first thing I saw was the property," Martin said. I watched it in the afternoon before going to bed. I had an alert set It became a full-time job. "
More than 30 rental applications and hundreds of dollars in application fees down the drain later, the Martins finally found a home.
But there was a cave They must start paying the rent one month before departure And, at $4,200 a month, their rent is about $700 more than the monthly housing allowance, known as BAH, that his wife, the lieutenant, receives.
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"We'll probably be here in two or three years, so that means we're paying $20,000 out of pocket on top of BAH for rent," Martin said after his family's fourth trip in the last 15 years.
It still affects us but I think about how we became a small family. I can't imagine the struggle (they) are going through. "
Housing has long been a key benefit for workers, a wage subsidy that follows the private sector The Department of Defense is reneging on its promise to help military families find affordable housing amid record high rents, service members and housing advocates say.
That's why many are forced to live in poor quality housing, face long commutes or pay thousands out of pocket for things they didn't budget for.
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"We have families who are on a long waiting list and are living in homes like Airbnb rentals, they're in hotels or camping in tents or living in RVs," Kate Needham said. The veteran who founded the nonprofit Armed Forces Housing Advocates in May 2021.
"I don't think the public really understands — they might think we're living at home for free and making a great living. And we're not."
Kate Needham, founder of the nonprofit Armed Forces Housing Advocates, looks at an apartment building on Aug. 16, 2022, in San Diego. The Needham group provides microgrants to military families in need, some of whom have used food banks because their wages don't cover these essentials. "I don't think the public really understands — they might think we're living at home for free and making a really good living. And we're not." (AP Photo/Gregory Bull))
The Needham group provides microgrants to military families in need, some of whom have used food banks because their wages don't cover these essentials.
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Reports of the housing crisis facing military families have alarmed members of Congress, who are introducing legislation to force the Defense Department to rethink how it manages housing.
A common complaint is that housing allowances, which vary in level and are reformed every year due to rising wages across the country, do not match market rents, although 95% must be paid. About two-thirds of the labor force's wages, like Martin's, must be overseas
Housing allowances at all levels increased an average of 18.7% since January 2018, according to an Associated Press analysis of data from the five largest U.S. military bases. According to real estate agency Zillow, rents have increased by 43.9%. In those markets: Carlsbad, California; Colorado Springs, Colorado; El Paso, Texas; Killeen, Texas and Tacoma, Washington
And because of foreign market difficulties, houses on the top have become a hot commodity, and many infrastructures are waiting for a long time.
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The disparity between military housing allowances and the current market should alarm officials struggling to hire the next generation, Nedham said.
"If you can't afford your job, why stay at a job?" Niham said. "People are experiencing abuse in the military in a variety of ways — sexual harassment, lack of attention to medical care, lack of attention to mental health. It's just another check in the box of, 'Why would I join the military?'
The Department of Defense did not say the Home Department was a concern. But defense officials say military housing agencies monitor the market and provide tools to help families find suitable, affordable housing.
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 stations, the statement said.
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Housing allowances at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida are often in line with the local market. was corresponding. In January 2020, a senior citizen without dependents earned $1,560 in monthly housing rent, compared to the Tampa area median rent of $1,457. But since then, rent has exploded to $2,118 a month in July, while senior housing allowance is $1,647.
Compared to people living abroad who face long commutes, it's no surprise that MacDill's 572 homes are nearly full. As of last week, the base was at 95% capacity with a waiting list of 548 families, according to Second Lt. Christine Nielsen, MacDill Public Relations Officer
"We're under the roof," said Stephanie Poyner, a Tampa property manager and wife of a retired soldier. "DoD needs to recognize the suffering of our soldiers, sailors, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard in this market," he said.
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Tampa real estate agent Renee Thompson, a relocation expert, says service providers typically rent homes an hour away from the site.
Thompson, who served in the military, said there are no homes on the market today that will approach service members' BAH. "It is very sad," he said.
The annual housing allowance estimate of six to nine months is an outdated indicator of the current housing market, Nielsen said.
Officials are looking to provide on-site and off-site facilities for MacDill, which employs about 18,500 people, he said. But because of congressional budget approval requirements, such a long-term solution would take years.
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Even at Mountain Home Air Force Base in rural Idaho, housing can be difficult to find, especially about 50 miles outside of Boise, one of its largest markets.
Call. Jamal May, 366th Fighter Wing commander for support, said housing allowances have increased, but not enough to keep up with rising costs.
Freshmen typically spend about 36 months in the dorms at the Foundation, but because of the high demand for apartments in the building, they typically spend 18 to 20 months.
With few options, Mays said some travelers are starting to stay in RV parks or go further afield in Twin Falls, where they face up to two hours of traffic on snowy roads, making it more difficult when they do respond. "The emergency is not about the price of oil," he said.
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Last fall, Defense officials extended temporary BAH increases from October through December 2021 in 56 home markets — including Mountain Home and Tampa. But while wages have continued to rise, there is no sign of the same falling this fall.
Even though the housing allowance increased in January, eligibility may end for some military families struggling with food insecurity. This is because the Department of Agriculture counts BAH as income when determining a family's eligibility for the SNAP government assistance program
The U.S. representative was frustrated by what he said was the Department of Defense's lack of understanding of the housing allowance plan. Marilyn Strickland, D-Wash., a measure that would give the department a year to re-examine its process and report on the accuracy of the current system. Zero
BAH is "like an algorithm that needs to be constantly updated," said Strickland, whose district includes most of the twin base Lewis-McChord near Tacoma, where many military families struggle to find affordable housing. His proposal is part of a national security bill that passed the House in July and awaits Senate approval.
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