The Military Housing Association applauds the House Armed Services Committee Quality of Life Panel’s recommendations to improve service member pay, child care, spousal support, and housing. Among the recommendations released in the report, the panel proposes increasing the Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) to 100%.
In response to the report, MHA senior advisor, General John F. Campbell (U.S. Army—Ret.), said:
“This report acknowledges a very important fact: the Basic Allowance for Housing program often fails to adequately compensate military families for housing costs. As the primary source of funding for privatized military housing communities, fully restoring BAH and ensuring accurate BAH calculation will help military housing providers support the housing program and keep pace with the increasing costs of operations, while reducing out-of-pocket housing costs for military families living off base. The Military Housing Association applauds the House Armed Services Committee for delivering for military families with these recommendations and urges their inclusion in the FY25 National Defense Authorization Act.”
Military housing providers rely on the BAH program to deliver services for on-base housing residents that are not typically available off-base, including support for utility expenses, 24/7 maintenance, community centers, and amenities such as playgrounds and workout facilities. Any remaining funds are reinvested into local communities, ensuring the long-term viability of projects through new-home construction, upgrades, renovations, and modernization. As the only source of revenue for Military Housing Privatization Initiative (MHPI) projects, it is critical that BAH provides for the long-term sustainability of military housing.
According to the panel’s report, “Not only do service members receive only 95 percent of their estimated housing costs, but the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) also found the calculation was often incorrect.” Without adequate and accurately calculated BAH rates, military families and privatized housing providers are impacted by persistent inflation and market fluctuations for materials and services.
MHA members strongly support the commitment made by House Armed Services Committee leaders to strengthen this fundamental program and protect the financial security of military families and housing communities.