Military Housing: Opportunities That Should Be Explored to Improve Housing and Reduce Costs for Unmarried Junior Servicemembers
GAO-03-602
Published: Jun 10, 2003. Publicly Released: Jun 10, 2003.
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Highlights
Each year, the Department of Defense (DOD) spends billions of dollars to house unmarried junior enlisted servicemembers, primarily in military barracks. Over the next several years, the Army, Navy, and Air Force plan to spend about $6 billion to eliminate barracks with multi-person bathroom facilities and provide private sleeping rooms for all permanent party members. Given the cost of the program, GAO looked at (1) the status of efforts to examine the potential for private sector financing, ownership, operation, and maintenance of military barracks; (2) the opportunity to reduce the construction costs of barracks through widespread use of residential construction practices; and (3) whether opportunities exist to make better use of existing barracks.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Defense | To capitalize on opportunities for reducing housing costs for unmarried servicemembers, the Secretary of Defense should direct the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics to promote a coordinated, focused effort among the military services to determine the feasibility and cost-effectiveness of barracks privatization by addressing the associated challenges and facilitating the development of pilot project proposals. This effort should support the Navy's use of the pilot housing privatization authority provided to the Navy in the Fiscal Year 2003 Bob Stump National Defense Authorization Act, with lessons learned applied to the other services' efforts. |
Closed – Implemented
OSD noted that, like family housing, there are common issues that affect all services with respect to barracks privatization. OSD has been very receptive and extremely supportive of a number of initiatives to energize barracks privatization efforts amongst the services. Specifically, OSD said that it has been working with the Departments of the Army and Navy in its efforts in this regard, and noted that the Navy plans to build on the lessons learned from its pilot project to encourage barracks privatization in all the military services.
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| Department of Defense | To capitalize on opportunities for reducing housing costs for unmarried servicemembers, the Secretary of Defense should direct the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics to direct the Army Corps of Engineers and the Naval Facilities Engineering Command to jointly undertake an engineering study to resolve questions about use of residential construction practices for barracks and compliance with antiterrorism force protection requirements. |
Closed – Implemented
In February 2006, the Protective Design Center of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers issued its technical policy paper on the structural design of type V construction for antiterrorism measures. The paper provides the blast capabilities of wood and steel stud walls typically used in residential construction practices at various standoff distances and levels of protection. The analysis indicated that, by adding limited mass to the walls, wood and steel stud walls were acceptable in certain instances. DOD policies now generally allow use of residential construction practices.
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| Department of Defense | To capitalize on oppurtunities for reducing housing costs for unmarried servicemembers, the Secretary of Defense should direct the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics to direct the military services to adopt residential construction practices for future barracks construction projects to the maximum extent practical, providing that the engineering studies show that barracks built with residential construction practices can economically meet all force protection requirements. |
Closed – Implemented
In February 2006, the Protective Design Center of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers issued a technical policy paper that provides the blast capabilities of wood and steel stud walls typically used in residential construction practices. The analysis indicated that, by adding limited mass to the walls, wood and steel stud walls were acceptable in certain instances. Also, DOD revised its policies to generally allow use of residential construction practices.
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| Department of Defense | To capitalize on opportunities for reducing housing costs for unmarried servicemembers, the Secretary of Defense should direct the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics to issue guidance directing that the services maximize use of required existing barracks space--defined as utilization that routinely approaches 100 percent--before authorizing unmarried junior members to live off base with a housing allowance. |
Closed – Implemented
In comments on a draft of this report, OSD partially concurred with the recommendation. Also, since our report, each of the services reviewed their barracks occupancy requirements and made changes as deemed appropriate. The Army changed its requirements and now allows E-6s to live off base. The services are also currently programming for new needs and divesting excess infrastructure.
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| Department of Defense | To capitalize on opportunities for reducing housing costs for unmarried servicemembers, the Secretary of Defense should direct the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics to direct the military services to identify and eliminate excess barracks infrastructure if, by reviewing the rationale behind their barracks occupancy requirements, they determine that more unmarried junior members should be permitted to live off base with a housing allowance. |
Closed – Implemented
In comments on a draft of this report, OSD concurred with GAO's recommendation and added that establishing a common requirements process for barracks consistent with individual service missions is the first step to maximizing use of existing assets, programming for new needs, and divesting of excess infrastructure. Also, since our report, each of the services reviewed their barracks occupancy requirements and made changes as deemed appropriate. The Army changed its requirements and now allows E-6s to live off base. The services are also currently programming for new needs and divesting excess infrastructure.
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Military cost controlMilitary facilitiesMilitary housingStrategic planningConstruction costsPrivatizationConstructionU.S. ArmyHousing constructionU.S. Air Force