Bill Overview
Title: Increasing Homeownership for Servicemembers Act
Description: This bill requires the Department of Defense to seek to enter into an agreement with a federally funded research and development center or nonprofit entity to study and report on the barriers to home ownership for members of the Armed Forces.
Sponsors: Rep. Strickland, Marilyn [D-WA-10]
Target Audience
Population: Active duty military members
Estimated Size: 1300000
- The bill is focused on assessing barriers to homeownership among members of the Armed Forces.
- Active duty military personnel in the United States are the primary target as they face unique challenges such as frequent relocations and deployments.
- There are about 1.3 million active duty military members in the US.
- Globally, there are many more military personnel, but the focus is on US servicemembers per the Department of Defense's jurisdiction.
Reasoning
- The policy primarily targets active duty military personnel, estimated at 1.3 million in the US, aiming to improve their housing situations.
- The budget constraints will limit the scale and the immediate impact, given the large population size.
- The simulated interviews should include diverse responses to reflect varying levels of current engagement with housing markets among servicemembers.
- Additionally, other individuals indirectly connected to military personnel, like family members, and those outside the military, may have differing perspectives because they won't be directly affected.
Simulated Interviews
Active Duty Military - Army (California)
Age: 32 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I'm hopeful that this policy might eventually help us own a home.
- Frequent moves have made it hard to save enough for a down payment.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 6 |
Active Duty Military - Navy (Texas)
Age: 28 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 4
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Finding affordable housing near my base has been tough.
- I hope this policy leads to better housing benefits.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 4 | 4 |
| Year 2 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 3 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 4 |
Military Spouse (Virginia)
Age: 45 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 0.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Any support for military families to buy homes would be beneficial.
- We want more stability for our children.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 6 |
Veteran, recently transitioned from Active Duty (Florida)
Age: 39 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 0.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I wish this was available when I was serving - owning a home was a struggle.
- Veterans also face housing challenges upon transition.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 8 |
Civilian - Real Estate Agent (New York)
Age: 50 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 0.0 years
Commonness: 12/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This policy could increase demand from servicemembers seeking to buy homes.
- The real estate market could become more favorable for military buyers.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 5 |
Active Duty Military - Marine Corps (North Carolina)
Age: 24 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Homeownership is not a priority for me right now, but it could be in the future as I advance in my career.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 7 |
Active Duty Military - Coast Guard (Hawaii)
Age: 31 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I'm optimistic the policy might address relocations and its impact on housing.
- I would love to think about settling in one location.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 7 |
Civilian sibling of a military personnel (Arizona)
Age: 19 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 0.0 years
Commonness: 9/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This study could ease our family's concerns about my brother's life in the Army.
- Homeownership would make transitioning out of the service smoother for him.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 5 |
Military Family Advocate (Georgia)
Age: 60 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 3/20
Statement of Opinion:
- It's vital to understand more about why our servicemembers struggle with buying homes.
- This could help shape better policies in the future.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 7 |
Active Duty Military - Air Force (Colorado)
Age: 26 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The idea of owning a home is appealing as we start our family.
- This policy could help if it leads to actionable outcomes.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 6 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $1000000 (Low: $750000, High: $2000000)
Year 2: $1000000 (Low: $750000, High: $2000000)
Year 3: $1000000 (Low: $750000, High: $2000000)
Year 5: $1000000 (Low: $750000, High: $2000000)
Year 10: $1000000 (Low: $750000, High: $2000000)
Year 100: $1000000 (Low: $750000, High: $2000000)
Key Considerations
- The bill primarily funds a study with the potential for future policy guidance rather than direct benefits.
- The analysis could inform subsequent policy decisions aiming at increasing homeownership amongst servicemembers, which may have broader economic implications.