The average PFC, Private First Class, in the United States Army earns just under $21,000 a year. Not many people earning that kind of pay can afford a home. Most people think that soldiers and other military personnel live on military bases and thus get free housing. That’s true, but there are tens of thousands of service members with families who buy or rent their own homes and live off-base as they pursue a military career.

Because military families already sacrifice so much, few would disagree that there should be some way to make housing more affordable for military families. The U.S. Government already has an affordable housing program for the general public. It’s run by HUD, the Department of Housing and Urban Development. HUD judges who qualifies for affordable housing programs based on income.

For military personnel there is a program similar to HUD called BAH, which stands for Basic Allowance for Housing. Like HUD, BAH is based on both income and region. The reason for this is obvious. Real estate prices vary widely, depending on where you live in the United States. For example, the price for homes in California is $346,750, and in South Dakota it is $169,900.  Not surprisingly, then, the BAH, or basic housing allowance for a soldier in California is $2,300 and in South Dakota around $800 to $900. This is paid monthly and is nontaxable. (Remember, it varies depending on the pay scale of the service member).

Surprisingly, many members of the military do not know about, do not understand, or simply don’t want to go through the hassle of using their BAH allowance to get into an affordable home. On the other hand, many do take advantage of the BAH – but it can be tricky, especially because military families have to move around so much. But any military family should look first  to the BAH program to pay for housing. It is part of the benefits of serving one’s country, it’s tax free, and millions have benefited from it.

Even so, Congress is now considering a bill that would eliminate the BAH and replace it with a better system to make housing even more affordable for service members.  A bill called the Military Families Affordable Homes Act is in the works. In short, this bill would eliminate using the BAH formula, and make it easier for military families to qualify for a greater range of homes, and also homes and rental properties that are enrolled in affordable housing programs. Part of this act has already been passed and is being tested in some locations.

What’s really tricky and challenging about affordable housing for military families is the uncertainty inherent in the job, especially the frequent moving. One military family reported they moved five times in six years! That makes it extremely difficult to make the decision to purchase a home – even using the BAH – because one never knows how long they will stay in that location.

The good news is that there is the vast experience of others to lean upon when it comes to deciding how best to cope with housing needs. Each branch of the military has internal resources to help service members with housing issues. So the first place you should look if you are a member of any branch of the military is inside your own organization. If you are serving in the U.S. Army, for example, search the Army’s web site for everything it can tell you about what it will do for you to help you with housing needs. The Army also have internal specialists that will help you with housing issues. Talk to them!

Incoming search terms:

• www wingfam org

Comments are closed.