Some families reported that home conditions triggered illnesses Image: Joseph Sohm/Shutterstock.com
By: FEDweek StaffPrivatization of military housing has done little to improve conditions, military families believe.
In an online questionnaire conducted Jan. 30-Feb. 6 by the Military Family Advisory Network (MFAN), a private advocacy organization, more than half of all respondents indicated they had a “negative or very negative experience with privatized military housing.”
Blame for the dissatisfaction was spread across 35 companies that provide military housing in every state that offers it. Respondents identified a litany of dangerous conditions — to include black mold, lead paint, faulty wiring, and poor water. They also mentioned that even with a preponderance of pesticides, “a wide variety of vermin, insects and other animals” — to include bats, skunks and squirrels — found their way into homes. Some families reported that the conditions triggered illnesses.
Families also reported that their complaints about conditions to these companies often went unheeded or denied. In some cases, they responded, both their commands and the housing-management companies threatened them with retribution that could potentially have harmful effects on service members’ military careers.
“Families have little or no recourse,” MFAN stated. “Rent cannot be withheld for poor condition, mismanagement or noncompliance with lease terms.”
MFAN recommended that the Defense Department work together with it and other advocacy organizations to establish “performance-tied initiatives” and garner more useful information about how military families feel about their housing.
