Action Line #90308 - Housing

  • Published
  • 39th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey --  Complaint: 

The issue I would like to see addressed is in regards to housing. Recently the housing office began giving the option to all technical sergeants and master sergeants to move into new renovated housing which would give them a "spare" bedroom. Upon hearing this, I contacted the housing office since I was currently living in a two-bedroom house with two kids. They informed me that they were not working on moving the staff sergeant at this point.

My concern here is that, while I know rank sometimes has its privileges, it should not completely cause those of us who are lower ranking to be disregarded. I believe there is no reason a technical sergeant or master sergeant should be moved to give them a spare bedroom before a staff sergeant gets moved simply to give their family a suitable size home. I think housing should consider the size of one's family over rank.

Today, I was offered a four-bedroom home. While the house was not bad, the location was very near some main roadways. I did not feel it was a safe location to have my children who play outside on a regular basis. Currently we live in an area that has a cul-de-sac and close speeds bumps. This new locations has neither. We made a request to see if there was something else available, but of course we were told no. My problem is that, not only is there a three-bedroom available on the road I currently live on, but people I know well were just offered four-bedroom houses and they got several choices as to which house they wanted to move into. The difference between me and him is what? He is a master sergeant! Again, rank has its privileges.

I would just like to make sure our leadership is aware of the way business is taking place. Thank you.

Response:
 
We appreciate your concerns and this opportunity to share the background on recent assignments taking place in family housing. Our current housing policy, which was signed March 11, 2009, was formulated to make maximum use of additional bedrooms added to our inventory by the ongoing renovation project and to take the opportunity to provide our housing community a standard of living equal to or greater than Air Force guidelines. Our assignment policy is that all ranks should be assigned with one bedroom per child and those master sergeants and above shall be assigned 3-or 4-bedroom units based on the number of children, plus one.

At the time the current housing policy was signed into effect, the housing office immediately generated a list of all members with a minimum of six months on station, and currently not assigned in accordance with the above guidelines; this list produced 14 master sergeants, 11 technical sergeants, nine staff sergeants, and six senior airmen and below, who were not meeting the new policy. After careful review of the housing inventory and inbound housing requirements, leadership made the decision to offer all master sergeants and technical sergeants an upgrade to a renovated 4-bedroom unit. A major driver for the decision was excess numbers of 4-bedroom units, which resulted from the completion of Phantom Housing renovations. However, there were not sufficient numbers of units to upgrade all 40 members to renovated units.

The decision to assign remaining families was greatly dependent on how many members declined or accepted the first offers for upgrades. This is why you were told, correctly so, at the particular time of your call, that staff sergeants were not being moved as of yet. As you stated, you were offered a 4-bedroom unit shortly thereafter. Fortunately, it became possible to offer staff sergeants a 4-bedroom unit as well, but selection was limited and depended upon other Incirlik personnel in permanent change of station status. Senior airmen, along with other airmen, were limited to offers to upgrade to old 3-bedroom houses.

We are sincerely sorry that the 4-bedroom house you were offered does not meet all your expectations, and that there were no other units offered to you. Master sergeants and technical sergeants who were in the first wave of offers were provided with options. Staff sergeants such as yourself in the second wave were not offered options due to the remaining supply of houses. No members were upgraded to a renovated 3-bedroom house because these were reserved for in-bound families. We will continue to experience limitations in choices due to the major renovations in family housing over the next several years. The Incirlik Housing Office is doing an excellent job of ensuring the best possible options are provided to our families.

Thanks again for taking the time to write, I'm sorry we can't meet the desires of every person in base housing, but I believe we are doing a pretty good job of getting everyone into houses which exceed AF requirements.