Can you recommend housing options for FT. Lee?

1LT Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 06 Dec 2019 01:42:40 -0500

Dual military, 3 children ages 4,2,1. Only need 2 bedrooms.

The orders are all but cut and this news has been dropped on my family very abruptly. Army refuses to recognize that I am not a 22 year old single man, or doesn't care (probably both? Ha!) Any recommended landlords or apartments would be appreciated. We will be connecting with the housing office next week, if not tomorrow, and planning a TDY arrival to shop for housing around Christmas. Just trying to get the ball rolling via internet searches. Figured the RP community might be able to help as I've seen similar questions from time to time.

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 6 at 2019 3:22 AM

MAJ Private RallyPoint Member — Fri, 06 Dec 2019 03:22:33 -0500

Most of everyone when i went there either lived in Richmond and drove in or went on post. Petersburg is nice in the loft areas downtown but besides that it is not a nice area.

Response by MAJ Javier Rivera made Dec 6 at 2019 6:09 AM

MAJ Javier Rivera — Fri, 06 Dec 2019 06:09:14 -0500

My recommendation is to leave the family in place while finishing your training. Like MAJ Private RallyPoint Member mentioned, Petersburg is a dump and there is the possibility of an un-accompanied follow on assignment. Then what would you do with your family? I had a follow on assignment before reporting for QM OBC (a few years ago) and branch changed it just for fun to Korea. Just my humbled opinion.

Response by Maj Private RallyPoint Member made Dec 8 at 2019 7:43 AM

Maj Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 08 Dec 2019 07:43:06 -0500

Fort Lee is what brought me to the Richmond area in 2005; came on active-duty orders as a reservist for 6 months in order to fill an immediate, critical staffing need at the Marine detachment. What to do? And there was a newborn, so leaving the family in-place really wasn’t an option.

Looking back, I should have been willing to rent virtually anywhere in the greater Richmond area, and simply commute to work, like the others are saying. Don’t look south of Lee; look north, the farther the better. Chesterfield IS nice, no question. Renting a house or large apartment with the military clause (you must be permitted to vacate outside of the contracted time span, with no penalty, if it’s due to military orders that take you outside 50 miles) would be smart.

Personally, if there’s room at Fort Lee, I think on-base housing would be the smartest logistical thing for you—you could even be home for lunch to help. Easy access to CDC, doctor visits, etc. The last I checked (years ago), nine months was the minimum length of orders to apply for housing. Or at very least, you could arrange CDC for some of the kids, and make it part of your routine to drive them on base when you go to work, drop them off, and continue on to class; I’ve done that, too. Using the base’s facilities aren’t “all or none.” You could live off-base, if you had to, and still use all/some/none of the remaining on-base support options. There are always waiting lists, so apply to everything as early as you possibly can.

In yet another scenario, I moved across the country with a travel-trailer, then the family joined me for most of the three months of orders. I don’t recommend that, unless you enjoy pain and struggle.

And you’re permitted to ask class leaders and peers who’ve gone before you, too, in addition to places like the housing office.

Good luck to you! Let us know how it goes.

Response by SPC(P) Brandon Jenkins made Mar 22 at 2020 11:01 PM

SPC(P) Brandon Jenkins — Sun, 22 Mar 2020 23:01:43 -0400

The houses will definitely have more than 2 bedrooms. At least 3. I lived there.