Essay Sample on Military Privatization Housing: Accountability & Recommendations

Introduction

The imagination of an officer getting the first assignment, and the military housing recommending that the person together with their family move into privatized housing can be devastating if the conditions of the new home would make them sick. Senior enlisted leaders must ensure they are knowledgeable about the unsatisfactory PPV housing services to hold housing management companies accountable. This essay covers the problem with military privatization housing, and provide a recommendation for a course of action.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Save 25%

Problem

Military families living in privatized housing are currently facing unconducive living conditions that include mold, vermin, and poor water quality. A question arises on whether the military families occupying the homes are to blame for these unsafe conditions. Family members repeatedly get sick and ask the relevant parties to conduct mold tests. There is uncertainty on whether the Navy will continue to let privatized companies manage military members on base. Two decades ago, the defense department warned about widespread despair in base housing. The warning of the department stated, "Runs the risk of collapsing the force because the most dedicated service members will decide to leave" (Reports, 2018). The provided background information concerning this problem leads to a profound discussion as follows.

Discussion

In1996, the Department of Defense (DOD) established privatized housing to provide military families with the opportunity to live in a vast majority military community. Last year, it was estimated that privatized housing would receive about 3.9 billion dollars through rent and allowances from military family members (Aigner-Treworgy, 2019). However, recent complaints indicate that privatized housing is under scrutiny because of mice infestation, mold, and the failure to repair discrepancies promptly.

Several military families successfully filed lawsuits against privatized housing companies for health deterioration conditions allegedly caused by the poor state of houses. Why would military families endure these horrendous living conditions and not move out? The military states, "The families have a choice; they do not have to live with us." (Report, 2018). Well, some service members cannot afford off base rentals. Several military families do not have the extra money to move off base. Private sectors off base charge security deposits, and if an officer or a family member owns a pet, then a pet deposit is charged. From this discussion, the essay now proceeds to provide recommendations on how to fix the issues of military privatized housing.

Recommendations

With the attention of entire DOD on the concerns of privatized housing, it is time for all military branches to take control of the matter. The Pentagon said the department is working to "improve responsiveness to concerns as agencies strive to ensure a positive experience for all military families living in privatized housing" (Aigner-Treworgy, 2019). As it stands now, every base has a family housing office, whose staff are civilian contractors. Active-duty servicemembers should be in charge of the privatized housing offices to accommodate the needs and concerns of fellow service members.

Additionally, families need a way to submit and put a hold on their housing allotment and have it sent to escrow until discrepancies are fixed. Privatized housing should hire more maintenance workers to complete tasks on time and provide better real-time progress. Lastly, there is a need for a working log to keep and submit all discrepancies reported to housing. These records should follow a direct chain of command for attention.

References

Aigner-Treworgy, A. (2019, May 22). Study finds military families face widespread problems in private housing. Retrieved January 21, 2020, from https://www.cbsnews.com/news/military-housing-new-study-finds-widespread-problems-for-families-in-private-housing/

Military families are living in homes with black mold, rodents and mushrooms, but housing officials say, 'They don't have to live with us'. (2018, November 1). Retrieved January 21, 2020, from https://uk.news.yahoo.com/military-families-living-homes-black-191649411.html

Reports, S. (2018, November 1). U.S. Marine families outgunned at home by vermin, mold and landlords. Retrieved January 21, 2020, from https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/usa-military-contractors/