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Housing and moving


Some of the toughest decisions in the military revolve around housing and moving. Should you live on base or off? Should you have a moving company deliver your household goods, or should you move them yourself? Before you make any decisions, you can get smart on those issues and more here.
  • Army’s privatized housing will absorb utility rate hikes
    Troops living in privatized military housing will get some built-in relief if utility rates jump in their area — at least, if they are living on Army installations.
  • Mortgage crisis hits BRAC-affected homeowners hard
    The broad effects of the housing mortgage crisis will prevent nine out of 10 homeowners affected by base closure and realignment actions from receiving financial help under the Homeowners Assistance...
  • Plan would boost BAH for E-8s
    The House of Representatives has approved a modest first step toward improving off-base living conditions for enlisted members by ordering housing allowances for E-8s to be based on the rental costs...
  • ‘Erosion’ of quality-of-life funding chafes lawmakers
    Sharp declines in funding for military quality-of-life programs may signal a lack of commitment by service officials, lawmakers said April 17.
  • Services slow to set standards for barracks
    The definition of “inadequate barracks” is ... inadequate.
  • Sharing can lead to saving
    JACKSONVILLE, N.C. — Marine Staff Sgt. Michael Martineu gave up searching the Internet for a one- or two-bedroom apartment in the Jacksonville area while he was still deployed to Iraq last year.
  • Fair play: Boosting BAH for singles
    The current system of Basic Allowance for Housing payments is split between haves and have-nots — those with families and those without.
  • Paying more for homeownership
    By the Pentagon’s standards, single E-7s are paid enough housing allowance to rent a two-bedroom townhouse.
  • Single doesn’t mean fewer expenses
    Alaska has some of the highest rent districts in the country, but the money available to soldiers for housing there is still not quite enough for Army Sgt. Romesa Fantroy.
  • Living within the allowance
    SAN DIEGO — Southern California’s sun-splashed, sandy beaches attract sun worshippers and surfers — Navy Lt. Jared Gianquinto included.
  • Study suggests raising partial BAH
    About 65,000 single junior enlisted members live in housing that is below Defense Department standards — and they should be paid extra for that hardship, military pay experts say.
  • As full replacement coverage kicks in, confusion remains
    Some service members have misperceptions about the new policy providing full replacement value coverage for damaged or lost household goods, officials say.
  • Private developers replace, fix base housing
    With the bulk of the family housing privatization projects already awarded to private developers, defense and service officials are now focusing on making sure the deals — and the military...
  • Marine barracks policy focuses on privacy, comfort
    JACKSONVILLE, N.C. — Four off-white cinder block walls with matching tile floors and one window — welcome to your standard Marine Corps barracks room.
  • Military construction 2008: Army
    “Grow the Force” projects designated for the Army by the Senate Appropriations Committee in its version of the 2008 military construction appropriations bill:
  • Military construction 2008: Marine Corps
    “Grow the Force” projects designated for the Marines by the Senate Appropriations Committee in its version of the 2008 military construction appropriations bill:
  • Senators OK 2008 base construction plans
    Seventeen more Army barracks projects and two bachelor enlisted quarters projects for wounded Marines are part of the Senate Appropriations Committee’s plan to help installations handle an...
  • Moving: Pay and allowances
    Service members with permanent change-of-station orders can receive advance pay and allowances with their commander’s approval. These include advances on basic pay and Basic Allowance for...
  • Moving: Transportation
    As soon as you have permanent change-of-station orders, make an appointment with your local transportation office. This is especially important for those stationed at large military installations or...
  • Moving: Household goods
    The agency in charge of moving military members’ household goods is the Surface Deployment and Distribution Command, http://www.sddc.army.mil.
  • Moving: Automobiles
    The government will ship one privately owned vehicle — an automobile, motorcycle or scooter — overseas for a service member.
  • Moving: Baggage
    Accompanied. Accompanied baggage is the luggage service members and their family members carry on an airplane, bus, train or car. It also refers to personal documents and property such as jewelry. It...
  • Moving: Damage claims
    The long-anticipated Full Replacement Value protection now provides better coverage for service members’ household goods that are lost or damaged while in the care of moving companies. Under...
  • Moving: Firearms
    Firearms are considered part of household goods, but national, state and local laws govern their transportation. Foreign countries also have rules about firearms.
  • Moving: Professional items
    Professional items are not counted against your weight allowance.
  • Moving: Storage
    Permanent. Permanent storage is permitted when the amount of household goods that can be transported overseas is restricted or when service members don’t take all their possessions with them....
  • Moving: Unauthorized items
    These are possessions the government will not pay to move or store, and include flammables, paint, aerosol cans and ammunition.
  • Moving: Weight allowances
    The government sets weight limits for what it will ship. The allowed weight depends on your rank and if you have dependents.
  • Moving: Children
    Moving can be difficult for the entire family. It can affect a family financially when one spouse has to leave a job to follow a military member to a new location. Children may find it hard to leave...
  • Moving: Pets
    Stateside. Service members must move pets at their own expense, although the cost is tax deductible.
  • Relocation
    Defense Department policy gives service members up to 10 days for house hunting at a new assignment location, but policies vary among the services.
  • Allowances: Advance pay
    Service members with permanent change-of-station orders can receive advance pay and allowances with their commander’s approval. These include advances on basic pay and Basic Allowance for...
  • Moving: Assistance
  • Housing: Basic Allowance for Housing
    Hundreds of thousands of service members stationed in the U.S. live off base and collect the Basic Allowance for Housing, or BAH. The tax-free monthly allowance goes to families who cannot get...
  • Housing: BAH differential
    Single members living on base and paying child support may qualify for additional monthly payments. For 2008, these payments range from $97.50 to $293.40. Exact amounts are determined by paygrade.
  • Housing: Overseas Housing Allowance
    Military members on official accompanied overseas tours either are provided housing or receive Overseas Housing Allowance.
  • Housing: Reservists
    The 2006 Defense Authorization Act led to a significant change in BAH policy for reservists. Previously, reservists had to serve on active duty for 140 days or more to qualify for full BAH; any...
  • Two-household families
    The government provides dual housing allowances for service members on unaccompanied tours overseas who are unable to get into government quarters, but still are supporting a family stateside.
  • Base housing: Barracks and dormitories
    The services call unaccompanied housing by different names, such as bachelor enlisted quarters, barracks and dormitories. All the services are upgrading their current facilities through renovation...
  • Base housing: Family housing
    Defense Department policy calls for relying on the civilian community first to house military families. But all service personnel with family members are eligible to apply to live in privatized...
  • Housing: Overseas
    Members with command-sponsored families — those authorized to have families accompany them to an overseas duty station — may apply for on-base housing. Adequate community housing is...
  • Housing: Privatized housing
    Privatization — having private firms build, own, maintain and operate housing on government land — is helping the services repair or replace inadequate housing and build new housing much...
  • Housing: Off-base housing
    Military personnel arriving at a new duty station must report to the local housing office for housing referral assistance before they rent or buy housing off base.
  • Housing: Fair Housing Act
    The Federal Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in the rental or purchase of a home on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, familial status or handicap.
  • Housing: Homeowners Assistance Program
    With the implementation of the 2005 base realignment and closure decisions now in full swing, service members and federal civilian employees who own and reside in homes near a base that is shutting...
  • Housing: Lease protection
    The Servicemembers’ Civil Relief Act protects renters in the civilian community. If a service member signs a lease and later gets orders for a permanent change-of-station move or orders for a...
  • Housing: Rental Partnership Program
    The Rental Partnership Program, formerly the Set-Aside Program, was established to help military members get adequate rental housing at a reduced rate, but it does not mean rental housing is set...
  • Housing: VA home loans
    Service members and veterans who decide to buy a house are eligible for a home loan guaranty offered by the Department of Veterans Affairs.

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