Privatized housing reaches Eielson

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Zachary Perras
  • 354th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska --  Representatives from Corvias Military Living, the new name in Eielson housing, recently spoke to the Iceman Team during a town hall meeting at the base theater here Apr. 2, 2013, to discuss the potential changes and impacts of Eielson shifting to privatized housing later this year.

Many Department of Defense bases have already established privatized housing for their residents, with Eielson's addition to that list forecasted to happen as early as July this year.

"Our mission is living made better," said Josh Crawford, Corvias spokesman. "Our goal is to be the best provider of service in the military housing industry. We promise you our best effort to help make living in Interior Alaska better."

Questions were raised in regard to what residents should expect to change. On the forefront of it all was establishing payment for rent and utilities.

With privatized housing, residents' basic allowance for housing will be used in-part to pay rent to Corvias, similar to Airmen living in the local community off base. BAH will be reflected on the leave and earnings statement but payment will be sent directly to Corvias once the allotment is authorized by the member.

"The thing for you to remember is that your rent equals your BAH, and that's for all ranks across the board," Crawford explained. "Your gross and your net take-home pay will not change."

Living in privatized housing offers Icemen the opportunity to save money while conserving energy. Because BAH will now be used in-part for utilities, if a home's energy usage exceeds the average by a certain amount, residents will have out-of-pocket expenses. On the upside, if residents conserve energy, they pocket the savings.

"In conjunction with housing privatization, the DOD is instituting a utility program where utility consumption will be tracked," Crawford said. "There will be a baseline range that is established with the usage of utilities in your home-type. There isn't a big risk for you, particularly if you conserve."

While there are some differences, on-base residents will not notice a monumental change in the way they live, such as residents maintaining personal property insurance for their possessions and choosing the options and amounts that best fit their needs.

Residents can still expect a yearly agreement, now in the form of a lease, for their housing. Should members wish to move off base once they sign their contract, they must do so at their own expense.

Other services, such as day-to-day housing maintenance, will continue in a similar fashion to the way GT&S performs maintenance now, with a notable exception: Corvias will even mow residents' lawns, should the member desire.

Icemen and their families can expect additional town hall meetings in the future. As Eielson moves closer to finalizing privatized housing, more information will become available.