State Department: Proposed Overseas Housing Standards Not Justified
NSIAD-90-17
Published: Dec 18, 1989. Publicly Released: Jan 26, 1990.
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Highlights
Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed the State Department's proposal for revising housing space standards for overseas employees, focusing on the: (1) proposal methodology and data; and (2) proposal's financial impact.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Department of State | If the overseas housing standards are to be based on an employee's grade or rank, the Secretary of State should have a survey done to determine the average size housing that federal employees of different grade levels and family size have in the metropolitan Washington area and ensure that any proposed revision in the overseas standards is derived from this information. |
State has completed a survey of State employees living in the Washington, D.C. area, and has drafted proposed standards based partially on the survey.
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| Department of State | Until the Department of State can adequately justify a revision in the housing standards, the Secretary of State should direct the responsible officials to enforce the current standards. This means that, when assigning new quarters, those employees who are not entitled to representational or over-standard housing should no longer be granted these residences. The existing standards have sufficient flexibility to accommodate unusual situations on a case-by-case basis. |
State has instructed all missions to continue the current policy until new standards are adopted. Chiefs of mission are now required to certify annually that housing has been leased in accordance with regulations.
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Topics
Americans employed abroadCost controlDiplomatsEligibility criteriaFederal employeesFuture budget projectionsGS grade classificationHousing allowancesReal estate leasesStandards evaluation