Editorial: Raise single BAH rates - Air Force Community - Air Force Times

Editorial: Raise single BAH rates

A sweeping study of military pay calls for bringing fairness to the Basic Allowance for Housing. It’s about time.

The 10th Quadrennial Review of Military Compensation proposes raising BAH rates for troops without dependents to 95 percent of the rates for their peers with families. The 5 percent difference accounts for the fact single people need less for utilities and insurance.

Differences in BAH for single and married troops amount to hundreds of dollars per month for many. This is because BAH rates are based on average costs of various types of housing that defense officials deem appropriate for troops according to their age, grade and family status.

The Pentagon rationale is that single people — especially low-ranking single people — can make do with smaller housing.

The result: Even though BAH rates now theoretically cover 100 percent of average housing costs for everyone, many single people still pay a good chunk of their costs out of pocket, because many refuse to settle for the type of housing linked to their paygrade.

The Defense Department took its first step toward fixing the BAH inequity Jan. 1, setting all single rates at a minimum of 75 percent of with-dependents rates. Previously, single rates were sometimes as little as half the size of with-dependent rates.

Now the Pentagon should finish the job. By raising single BAH rates 5 percentage points each year over the next four years, it can reach the 95-percent threshold by 2012.

This is the right thing to do. Whether or not troops have dependents is irrelevant to the work they do. It should be irrelevant to the amount they are paid, as well.