Housing evaluation team visits KMC

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Markus M. Maier
  • 86th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany --  A team, hired by the Air Force, visited the Kaiserslautern Military Community Oct. 25 through 29 to conduct an analysis on available housing.

The analysis, called a Housing Requirements Market Analysis is a detailed study to determine the quantity and bedroom configuration of military housing the US Government must provide to ensure that all military households have access to acceptable housing and is done approximately every four years.

The HRMA follows OSD guidance specifying that the military services must rely first on the private sector to meet its housing needs prior to considering military housing. The study determines if there is sufficient affordable, suitable private sector housing to meet the needs of military households, both families and unaccompanied personnel.

With approximately 90 percent of the KMC currently living off base, the analysis is vital to ensuring not only that the numbers of available housing match up, but also the housing meets basic standards set forth by OSD.

"While the analysis ensures compliance with the OSD housing requirements, a basic floor or a minimum [number] of on-base housing, which is 10 percent of each rank and bedroom category is maintained," said Karen Leonard, KMC Housing director.

The team looks at a market area covering a 60-minute commute or 20-mile distance, whichever is greater, and identifies vacant and military occupied rental units. Safety of homes and neighborhoods, amenities, size based on local market standards, affordability (within members' Overseas Housing Allowance) and military household bedroom entitlements are also considered. The team includes information provided by local government offices, to include the Census bureau, banking officials and realtors to round out their data collection.

All of this information is combined with the number of authorized Air Force and Army positions to determine the on-base housing requirement for the KMC.

The results of the analysis, which are not expected to be released until early next year, determine if more housing units need to be built on base, or if housing requirements stay the same or are reduced.

The last HRMA here was accomplished in 2006 and updated in 2008, and identified a requirement of 1,641 on-base housing units.

"For the last few years, the local economy has kept up with our housing needs and older surplus on-base units have been demolished," Ms. Leonard said. "If units are not surplus and are considered adequate we will continue to utilize them until their lifespan runs out."

However, despite what the numbers say some members new to the KMC feel that good housing is actually not that easy to come by.

"When we first got here, we had a hard time finding a house that worked for us," said Tech. Sgt. Jimmy Evans, 86th Communications squadron Client Systems Team noncommissioned officer in charge. "I work on Ramstein and my wife works at Vogelweh, so we were trying to find something kind of in the middle for the commute."

He added that the demand for off-base houses was so high, that by the time they would inquire about a house listed at the housing office, it was already rented out. Another challenge Sergeant Evans noted was the unique size of the houses.

"We have a lot of large furniture, and most of the houses here are smaller than what we are used to in the states," he said. "It took us a while to find the right house for us and we looked at a lot of houses."

Ms. Leonard said the housing team is well aware of the issues some newcomers to the KMC have, and knows that the term "adequate housing" is very subjective.
For this reason, it is even more important that sponsors help educate newcomers on the unique differences they may face in searching for a home off-base.

"We do not expect anyone to lower their personal standards," Ms. Leonard said. "However, expectations must be realistic as families now reside overseas. In Germany, housing is smaller then what might be found in the United States; most houses do not have closets or fenced yards and many landlords do not allow pets. If members have a preferred location or school district availability becomes more restrictive. However, on average it takes service members 23 days to locate and occupy economy housing."

While the housing market may be limited, Ms. Leonard added, the KMC has seen many housing improvements; by summer of 2011 the last of the 852 townhouse units will be constructed and occupied. Whatever the outcome of this year's analysis; changes will not be seen immediately.