Housing
Background
Housing is a significant issue for families with special needs that require modified living spaces. Because military families relocate often, those with housing accommodation requirements often deal with the same issues each time they move. The availability of quality military housing on-installation and affordable housing off-installation varies considerably from one location to another, making it difficult for service providers to give special needs families a blanket statement of how their housing needs will be met at a new duty station. Families can be assured, however, that military housing programs are prohibited from discrimination on the basis of disability, and are required to make reasonable accommodations for special needs. Each Service will make housing modifications to accommodate disabilities on a case-by-case basis or relocate families to suitable housing at no cost to the family.
Key Points
- Military Housing Privatization Initiative (MPHI) – The MHPI is a major initiative designed to improve the availability, condition, and affordability of housing for military personnel through privatization. Service members are able to use their Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) to live in privatized military housing that includes improved accommodations for special needs families who prefer living in military communities. As units are renovated or rebuilt, they are brought up to modern housing standards, and a higher percentage of them become handicapped accessible, particularly in areas of high Exceptional Family Member (EFM) concentrations. More information is available on the Military Housing Privatization Initiative website.
- Housing Discrimination – Even when housing modifications are not needed, many special needs families are still subjected to housing discrimination. Military special needs families should report housing discrimination to their installation housing referral service, especially if it referred them to the housing provider.
- Emergency Life Support and Evacuation – Whether families live in government or private housing, families with an EFM who is immobile and/or dependent on life-sustaining equipment must have plans and procedures in place for emergency evacuation or a back-up power source in the event of power outages. Service providers can assist these families in developing plans and, if the family lives on the installation, they should be included in housing disaster-preparedness plans.
- Uniformed Federal Accessibility Standards (UFAS) – The UFAS are design requirements developed under the Architectural Barriers Act (ABA) for facilities designed, built, or altered with federal funds. Under the ABA, the federal entities, including the Department of Defense, have an obligation to follow UFAS as facilities are designed, constructed, or altered with federal funds.
Resources
- US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) – HUD has a Disability Rights and Resources page that provides extensive fair-housing information for disabled persons, housing providers, and building professionals, including information on the Section 811 program for low-income adults with disabilities.
- MilitaryINSTALLATIONS – MilitaryINSTALLATIONS is a resource available on MilitaryHOMEFRONT that provides contact information for programs and services, maps and directions, links to comprehensive location overviews, and community points of interest for military installations worldwide. Contact information for installation housing offices can be found through this resource.
Frequently Asked Questions on Housing
The following are Frequently Asked Questions on Housing. Please click on the question and the answer will appear. Click again to hide the answer.
What should special needs families do if they face "housing discrimination?"
Even when they do not require housing modification, many special needs families are still subjected to housing discrimination. Military special needs families should report housing discrimination to their installation housing referral service, especially if it referred them to the housing provider. For service members in locations not served by a housing referral office, the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) website provides information on filing discrimination complaints, and the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law has extensive information on fair housing laws and litigation with over a dozen information sheets on housing discrimination issues (click on "Issues"). |
What is "Privatized Housing" and how can it help special needs families?
The Military Housing Privatization Initiative (MHPI) allows each branch of Service to work with commercial enterprises to rehabilitate or rebuild substandard military family housing through a variety of financial mechanisms including loans, loan guarantees, equity investments, conveyance or leasing of land, housing, or other facilities. Service members can use their Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) to live in either private-sector housing or privatized military housing. Privatized housing offers improved housing accommodations for special needs families who prefer living in military communities. As units are renovated or rebuilt, they will be brought up to modern housing standards, and a higher percentage of them will become handicapped accessible, particularly in areas of high Exceptional Family Member (EFM) concentrations. The property managers will be required to make reasonable alterations and accommodations consistent with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) at no cost to the tenant. For more information on privatization, special needs families may be referred to the Military Housing Privatization Initiative website. |
What should military families that have special housing requirements for members with special needs do prior to a relocation?
Military families that have special housing requirements such as handicapped accessibility or climate control/air quality monitoring should be advised to make contact with the housing office or Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) coordinator at their new duty location as early as possible. Medical documentation of special housing needs will normally be required before assignment to special needs housing or modification to a housing unit is approved. |
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