Posted on Apr 9, 2016
Does it make sense that different ranks pay different prices for the same house?
8.85K
28
20
5
5
0
I have lived on-post at my last two duty stations; Ft. Benning, GA and the illustrious Ft. Polk, LA. While the quality of housing has "varied" , my family has always enjoyed the convenience and community feeling of living on post. That being said, it always struck me as crazy that a SGT living in the same layout house on the same street as a SFC is charged significantly less for the same house.
Housing
Fort Moore
Fort Johnson
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 13
3
3
0
They pay less because their BAH rate is less. No real math involved. I always listen to people crying about this. if you are not happy with the pay rate/quality of your housing, which you are paying the same proportionality for as the junior guy, look off post. Pay the utilities and all other fees involved. I pay 3,600 (BAH) per month for a house on base, but don't have any other fees. I personally have never seen a SGT pay less than their BAH rate for the same house that a SFC lives in. I doubt that I would see a SGT even living anywhere near even junior officer, housing so that isn't even a part of the equation. So, unless base pay is commensurate, BAH rate should reflect this. Yes, it makes sense. The only real complaints should be coming from the privatized housing folks.
(3)
(0)
SGM Mike Barbieri
I would offer that the government is paying, not you. In the past, housing was nowhere near what you have now. A junior soldier wouldn't be able to afford housing of the same quality without adding money out of pocket. Under the privatized housing agreement and the rates the government has contracted, your BAH subsidizes that of the junior members, which allows them a better quality of living.
(3)
(0)
SGT Felicia King
The MSG is right, soldiers crying about a bunch of stuff nowadays. Different army, that's what he is referencing. I should be surprised that a SPC is living next to a LTC, but I guess with the new army I'm not. At Bragg they kept them in different communities on post. Maybe it's a new housing rule. [me rolling my eyes at the new army bullshit]
(1)
(0)
SGT Felicia King
MAJ (Join to see) - Benning is special with special people I'm thinking. That's news to me. It's always been according to BAH which goes by your rank. At Bragg and the Germany post I was at it was according to rank. My accountable officer (warrant) did not like living in officers quarters after getting a divorce because she had to put up with the snotty officers wives. But I tell you what, the stories were hilarious. Nothing like talking shit about officers stuck up wives. Especially when they treat other officer wives like shit.
(0)
(0)
2
2
0
It still sounds better than it used to be when quarters for single soldiers were real dumps and you couldn't get a BAH at all if there was anywhere available on base no matter what it was. If you chose to live off base you paid 100% right out of your pocket. Even single officers and lower ranking NCOs with families got dumps. They were just starting to build new units and they pretty well went by rank. Most of the older housing was left over from the WWII days.
(2)
(0)
2
2
0
It has been like that since the privatization of managing the housing. Since it only goes off the size of your family now, unlike when the Army managed it, using DoD civilians, and rank played into the decision. The new management just wants to keep the units filled, so they took out a few of the factors to ease the process. On post housing has never really been fair, though. My opinion is that On post housing should be managed just like any other rental agency would do it. If I want to live in a house more expensive than my BAH will cover (or less), I should be able to decide that. The price of the housing should be tied to its value and not the BAH rate. But, that won't happen because the agency makes more money keeping them full and and limiting their admin costs.
(2)
(0)
Read This Next
Continue with Facebook 
Continue with Google