[Questions Concerning the "Rent Plus" Allowance for Members of the Uniformed Services]

An Air Force member requested an advance decision concerning collection of housing allowance differences between a nonsharer's entitlement and the shared quarters entitlement. Joint Travel Regulations authorize housing allowances for armed services members outside the continental United States. The requester, who resides in Hawaii, was receiving that allowance as an unaccompanied member who was not sharing a residence. However, it was found that he was sharing his residence with another enlisted member who was eligible for a flat rate housing allowance. Since the computation of the amount paid under the "rent plus" system is based on costs and a lower allowance is paid when two or more members share a residence, it was determined that the allowance should have been calculated based on that fact. The member objected to the collection on the basis that the regulations did not define a sharer at the time he became entitled to the "rent plus" allowance. GAO found that the regulations had been amended a few months after issuance to define a sharer and to provided a basis for calculation of rent for sharers so that sharers could not manipulate the allowances to their advantage. Since equal cost division was in keeping with the "rent plus" housing allowance purposes, GAO concluded that the member was not entitled to the "rent plus" as a nonsharer and his entitlement must be based on the sharer's computation for the period involved.