Family concerns about health and safety issues in military housing are widespread, according to a recent Army Inspector General report that reveals systemic problems with relationships between the Army and housing contractors. The government’s current oversight of these projects was insufficient to identify housing challenges. Inspectors found there was lack of joint authority, confusion regarding roles and responsibilities, lack of training, dramatic personnel cuts and lack of transparency among privatized housing companies. Inspectors uncovered a 2013 Army policy that specifically prohibited health and welfare inspections of military housing.

Two-thirds of the 1,180 residents of military privatized housing communities who participated in the IG survey stated they were dissatisfied with their overall housing experience. Sixty-four percent said they would move off post if there were no financial costs or concerns, according to the report. The review was ordered by then-Secretary of the Army Mark Esper in the wake of reports about widespread problems of mold, water leakage, vermin infestations and other problems in military housing.

Scores of Fort Bragg soldiers and family members complained to U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., about their military housing at a recent town hall meeting. It was the latest in a series of stops Tillis is making at military installations. It was his second town hall at Fort Bragg since summer. About 200 people bombarded him with complaints. The No. 1 issue was about mold in housing units. “I’ve seen the mold, and it’s legit,” Krista Lindholm said of mold in a neighbor’s house. “They’re sick, their kids are sick, and housing is just not coming and dealing with it.”

Tillis said problems with military housing won’t be fixed overnight, but he said he hopes the information he gathers at town hall meetings helps him put things in place to speed up the process. “At every one of these town hall meetings, I ask people to call my office and open up a case so that we make sure we prioritize where medical professionals have said the conditions in the home are most likely the root cause of their health conditions,” he said.

During the meeting, someone suggested that Fort Bragg commanders be given authority to hold private contractors to the same standards civilian landlords must meet. Off-post housing can and is placed off-limits when landlords fail to comply with military requirements.

The IG report “validates the experiences of the brave military families who have spoken up for change,” said Shannon Razsadin, executive director of the Military Family Advisory Network, which conducted an online survey in early February of military families in all branches of service about their experience with privatized housing. More than half of 14,558 military families reported negative experiences. “There is a remarkable overlap between the Army IG report and MFAN’s research,” Razsadin said.

Corvias Property Management is under contract at Fort Bragg and has committed $100 million for rehabilitation and new housing units on post.  Corvias relocated 4,670 families from their existing homes to newly built or renovated homes. The homes were then backfilled after renovation with another round of relocations to ensure all families received upgrades. The Army is already addressing most of the 20 recommendations in the IG report, according to a statement issued by Army officials.