Military Times
Senators peppered service officials for more than two hours Tuesday with questions about ongoing problems with privatized family housing.
Meanwhile, government auditors issued a report saying DoD’s measures of tenant satisfaction are fundamentally flawed, leading to financial rewards to housing companies that may have been undeserved.
The latest hearing came 10 months after the first hearings where family members testified about the hazards that threatened their health and safety, and their frustrations in getting their landlord to fix the problems—and no help from their military officials on base.
But things haven’t changed much in the interim, said the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee.
“We continue to hear regularly from families across the country about questionable practices, poor workmanship, and frankly, in some places, about housing contractors just not caring about the families they are serving,” said Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Okla.
“The time for talk is over. If these companies cannot get the job done, you owe it to our military families to find a company who will.”
... Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., said he is still hearing from some families with issues with their landlords, including some who are being forced to sign non-disclosure agreements, to keep quiet about their housing problems.
“When is enough enough?” Tillis asked the service secretaries.
“We might be there right now,” said Army Secretary Ryan. D. McCarthy.
