Three Minimum Wage Jobs Needed To Afford Two-Bedroom Apartment

[MADem]

27. They either might not meet basic housing standards....

(e.g. space requirements based on pay grade and minimum square footage) or they may have maintenance issues (inefficient heating system, lead paint, faulty wiring, etc., etc.).

If some houses are being used, and others sit empty, it's likely that this kind of thing is at issue--can't force people to take substandard housing if there are alternatives available.

The pot of money (MILCON--military construction) that pays for rehab/refurbishment of buildings is a completely different pot of money that pays for military personnel allowances. It could well be that a bean counter in the Funny Farm (the Five Sided One) did the math and determined it was cheaper to pay allowances than upgrade the housing.

The housing allowance varies by paygrade. The more senior you are, the more "house" you can get. It also varies by location (you get more money in a high rent area than a low rent one) and you also get more money if you are not single; i.e., you have "dependents" in tow (I personally think that distinction is terribly unfair--single people with no spouse/no kids cost the military the least, and they are screwed out of additional cash for the "crime" of being single--can't claim a dog or a cat as a dependent, and often the rent is higher if you have a pet, but there's no consideration for that).

Landlords are gonna get what they can--this is true in any military base environment. When the bases close, or downsize, as they often do, then they have some adjustments to make.