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DOCUMENT BES[ME
04605 - [B0044939]
The Military Services ire Constructing Unneeded Family Housing.
CED-78-8; B-133316. December 29, 1977. 31 pp. + 2 appeDdices (9
pp.).
Report to the Congress; by Elmer B. Staats, Coiptroller General.
Issue Area: Domestic Housing and Community Develcpment (2100).
Contact: Community and Economic Development Div.
Budget Function: National Defensu: Department oF Defense -
military (except procurement & contracts) (u51).
Organizatinn Concerned: Departaent of Defense; Department of the
Navy; Department of the Army; Department of the Air Force.
Congressional Relevance: House Committee on Armed Services;
Senate Committee on Armed 1rvicei; Congress.
Authority: Privacy Act (P.L. 93r,79).
In its family housing th., am, the Department of
Defense (DOD) tries to assure marz,%el aeae.sers of the armed
services and their families adc'qutp quarters. DOD's policy is
to rely on communities near military inst l.lations as the
primary source for housing, and housing should be constructed on
a military installation only as a last reso:t,
Findings/Conclusions: DOD's systoA for assessing available
community housing is based on the bilitary instaliatcL-Z,' annual
sarvey. The Department uses queetionnaire responses ccmbinqd
with itforlation on community rental units currently vacant or
planned to project housing deficits or surpluses. The .erviccs
have Justified housing construction at installations on the
basis of sampling techniques that were erroneous. The services
have generally understated the availability of ccmmunity housing
by such actions as limiting the areas considered below policy
requirements, excluding houses for sale, and making improper
allocations between military and civilian demand. Congress is
not kept fully informed on housing shortages revealed by
surveys. Also, families are assigned to onbase housing on the
basis of service members' rank rather than family need. In 1975
and 1976, more than 35% of all military families -Lived in
Government-owned housing with more bedrooms than DOD had
authorized. Recommendations: The Secretary of Defense should
require that the military services: use proper sampling
technigues; observe the 60-minute commuting criteria; count as
adequate community housing vacant houses for sale; consider the
future growth of a community; make other changes to idemtify
accurately housing available to military families in a
community; and assign separately onbase family hcusing to
officer and onlisted families based on family need. The
Secretary should also: include in DOD's construction fund
requests housing deficits by each bedroom category and eligible
pay grade group, as shown by surveys; and inform the Congress
that DOD and service headquarters officials have verified survey
deficits. (Author/HTM)](ViewImageLocal?handle=hein.gao/gaobaawlk0001&div=1&collection=&method=preview&ext=.png&size=3)