Bill Overview
Title: Military Housing Readiness Council Act
Description: This bill establishes the Department of Defense Military Housing Readiness Council to review and make recommendations to the Department of Defense (DOD) regarding policies for privatized military housing. The council must also monitor compliance by DOD with statutory improvements to policies for privatized military housing and make recommendations to improve collaboration, awareness, and promotion of accurate and timely information about privatized military housing, accommodations available through the Exceptional Family Member Program, and other support services among policymakers, service providers, and targeted beneficiaries. The council must make all documents publicly available until the council ceases to exist.
Sponsors: Sen. Warren, Elizabeth [D-MA]
Target Audience
Population: People who are dependent on privatized military housing
Estimated Size: 3250000
- The bill addresses privatized military housing, which is primarily occupied by active-duty military members and their families.
- The total global armed forces are approximately 27 million, including active-duty, reserves, and para-military personnel.
- The United States has approximately 1.3 million active-duty military members.
- Each active-duty member often has a family, potentially doubling or tripling the affected population, yet the focus is primarily on housing rather than other benefits shared with family.
- The bill focuses on improving living conditions, which directly affects the wellbeing of the soldiers and their families dependent on military housing.
- Privatized military housing policies impact service members globally stationed, wherever such housing programs are implemented.
Reasoning
- The primary target group for this policy is active-duty military personnel and their families, who are significantly impacted by privatized military housing conditions.
- Since the policy specifically targets housing issues, it predominantly affects those currently residing in privatized military housing.
- The common issues that this policy aims to address are housing quality, compliance with existing regulations, and providing accurate information to the families staying in these accommodations.
- Most of these military families live on or near bases, primarily in the United States, although some are stationed abroad.
- The policy is expected to improve conditions and the quality of life for these families, which can enhance their overall wellbeing, although actual experiences and impact may vary based on individual circumstances.
- The budget constraint indicates the policy will need to be efficiently implemented to maximize benefits and improvements without overspending.
Simulated Interviews
Active-duty military (Fort Hood, TX)
Age: 30 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 15/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I hope this council can actually enforce some changes because our housing has several unresolved issues.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 5 |
Military spouse (Norfolk, VA)
Age: 28 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 4
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 18/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Quality of housing directly affects our daily life. Improvements are desperately needed.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 4 |
Active-duty marine (Jacksonville, NC)
Age: 35 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 14/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The council's recommendations could make a big difference if followed through.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 6 |
Retired military spouse (Oahu, HI)
Age: 40 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Any improvement in housing laws will help future military families.
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 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 5 |
Active-duty navy (San Diego, CA)
Age: 25 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 2.0 years
Commonness: 16/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I'm not too affected, but better housing can help morale.
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 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 7 |
Military contractor (Colorado Springs, CO)
Age: 42 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 0.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This council may not directly affect me but can lead to better standards overall.
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 |
Active-duty army (Anchorage, AK)
Age: 29 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 12/20
Statement of Opinion:
- More focus on extreme weather accommodations would be beneficial.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 6 |
Active-duty marine (Cherry Point, NC)
Age: 33 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 15/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The community needs these changes to solve long-standing issues.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 5 |
Military spouse, works remotely (San Antonio, TX)
Age: 38 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 8.0 years
Commonness: 17/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Increased transparency can ease the stress of dealing with housing issues.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 6 |
Veterans affairs counselor (Tampa, FL)
Age: 45 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 0.0 years
Commonness: 9/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I see the benefits for those directly affected; better housing can ease transitions.
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 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $12000000 (Low: $9000000, High: $15000000)
Year 2: $10000000 (Low: $8000000, High: $13000000)
Year 3: $10000000 (Low: $8000000, High: $13000000)
Year 5: $9000000 (Low: $7000000, High: $12000000)
Year 10: $8000000 (Low: $6000000, High: $11000000)
Year 100: $5000000 (Low: $3000000, High: $7000000)
Key Considerations
- The council's ability to enact significant savings is dependent on the uptake of its recommendations by the Department of Defense.
- Costs could fluctuate based on staffing needs, travel requirements, and the level of IT infrastructure required to support document publication and access.
- The synchronization of council recommendations with existing DOD policies and procedures will play a critical role in determining the effectiveness and efficiency of the recommendations, thereby potentially affecting the overall cost and savings.