Inadequate allowances forcing US personnel to rough it in tight housing markets, investigators find
By JENNIFER H. SVAN STARS AND STRIPES •
October 31, 2024 Housing at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho.
Service members and their families are increasingly feeling the pinch of a competitive housing market in some areas, according to a new Government Accountability Office report released Oct. 30, 2024. (Daniel Barnhorst/U.S. Air Force) Service members shut out of high-priced housing markets have resorted to living in recreational vehicles, leaving families behind or working two jobs.
That’s according to a new federal report, which found major shortcomings in Pentagon housing allowances and other support and guidance governing affordable living quarters. Recent boosts in the Basic Allowance for Housing and an expansion of the cost-of-living allowance from 5,000 to 17,000 service members have often proved insufficient in the search for a place to live, the Government Accountability Office found.
In a report issued Wednesday, the GAO said the Pentagon needs to have a better handle on housing availability and affordability challenges for its personnel.
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https://www.stripes.com/theaters/us/2024-10-31/military-personnel-still-struggling-affordable-housing-15689686.htmlSource - Stars and Stripes
