GAO's Analysis of the Need for Additional Family Housing at the Navy's Trident Submarine Base, Bangor, Washington

Congress has authorized the Department of Defense (DOD) to construct an additional 520 family housing units, estimated to cost $24.6 million, at the Navy's Trident Submarine Base at Bangor, Washington. The additional 520 units are not needed. DOD housing survey procedures inadequately projected future housing supply. The community is responding to its housing needs; the development rate is above the 13 percent to 25 percent rate a study noted was required for Trident and general community families between 1975 and 1985. Most Trident military families are able to afford housing in the community. Since the Navy justifies building onbase housing based on need, the assignment of onbase housing should be allocated first to those who can least afford to live in the community. It was estimated that, over the estimated useful life of Government-owned housing units (45 years), it would cost the Government about $51,568 per unit more to provide housing on the base than to pay basic allowance for quarters. The Secretary of Defense should: cancel construction plans for the 520 housing units, annually assess the need for onbase housing at Trident, and direct the Navy to give priority in assigning onbase housing to lower-grade eligible personnel.