With the introduction of the Military Housing Transparency and Accountability Act, as part of May and Military Appreciation Month, U.S. Reps. Glenn Thompson (R-PA) and Salud Carbajal (D-CA) seek to increase housing information available to military members and their families.
“As an Army dad, I know first-hand the challenges our service men and women face when finding safe and comfortable housing,” Thompson said. “They should feel confident if an issue arises it will be resolved, and in a timely manner. This bipartisan bill is a step in the right direction and will improve transparency and oversight, with the goal of fixing a system that has serious issues.”
Previously, Congress directed the Secretary of Defense to create a centralized assessment tool for members of the Armed Forces and their families to allow them to identify, rate and compare housing options. This was a major change, as military housing has long been accused of rife neglect and unsafe conditions, including mold, lead-based paint, asbestos, poor water quality, sewage and careless repairs not generally tolerated in the wider housing market.
However, the department never actually implemented the tool, and what it created failed to cover all military housing and oversight. The Military Housing Transparency and Accountability Act seeks to change that through expanded access to the tool for service members and their dependents, and to increase reporting requirements, including an annual report to Congress. In theory, it would also allow service members to report issues in real-time and find solutions to unsatisfactory or unsafe conditions.
“Our servicemembers–who sacrifice so much to protect our country–deserve reliable and safe housing for themselves and their families,” Carbajal said. “However, too often I hear stories of military housing not meeting those standards. As a veteran, I’m dedicated to ensuring our servicemembers and their families have access to high-quality housing. This bipartisan bill would create a centralized tool to address housing issues within military bases. By providing a way for servicemembers to see and compare housing options, and to report issues and hazards in real-time, we can improve housing conditions.”
The effort received praise from both With Honor Action and the VFW organizations. Brittany Dymond, associate director of the VFW National Security and Foreign Affairs Directorate, added that the housing in which service members live shouldn’t determine if they have a voice in the resolution of housing issues – nor should they have to live in substandard conditions while being expected to maintain positive morale, well-being and mission readiness.