SUPPORTING MILITARY FAMILIES AND ENSURING READINESS DURING COVID-19

We are committed to ensuring the health and safety of residents and employees across privatized military housing. While the COVID-19 pandemic presented tremendous challenges to our nation’s service members and their families, MHA member companies acted quickly to implement operational safeguards and policy changes to support residents during these unprecedented times. Throughout this crisis, the Military Housing Association (MHA) has supported efforts to provide new resources and tools to military families when they need it most.

We remain committed in our mission to deliver a quality living experience to military families. Over the last several months, the military housing industry has worked relentlessly to continue to deliver best-in-class services as military communities continue to do what they do best: serve our country.

Here are some examples of how the MHA and our members are supporting residents during this difficult time.

Safely serving residents

At the outset of the pandemic, MHPI partner companies adjusted their operations and services to adhere to state and federal guidelines, and recommendations from government health officials – temporarily suspending routine maintenance work to limit interaction while continuing to safely respond to emergency service requests. In several locations, partner companies have already resumed routine and preventive maintenance work in accordance with local guidelines.

Helping families during PCS disruptions

In response to the COVID-19 crisis, military leaders took important steps to protect public health including halting Permanent Change of Station moves. As a result, certain military families were ordered to stay in place after they had given notice on a lease or were in the process of selling their home. MHA member companies worked with the Military Family Advisory Network to raise awareness of the situation and took the necessary steps to provide short-term leasing options in vacant housing units for families at risk.

Sponsoring the COVID-19 Military Support Initiative

MHA is a proud sponsor of the COVID-19 Military Support Initiative – a program providing resources and expertise to support military families through the pandemic. The initiative, organized by Blue Star Families and the Association of Defense Communities, provides valuable insight into how the pandemic is affecting service members and their families through its COVID-19 Military Families Pain Points Poll.

Maintaining readiness

Vacant on-base housing has been critical for maintaining readiness by allowing healthy service members to isolate prior to deployment. For example, several industry housing partners are working with the Navy to move sailors into vacant housing units to help protect the fleet from potential COVID-19 exposure.

Supporting local communities

MHPI partner companies are also taking action at the base level to provide additional resources to military families and support their local communities.

 

Lincoln Military Housing is now Liberty Military Housing, an employee-owned company.