{"id":55374,"date":"2019-02-13T05:00:44","date_gmt":"2019-02-13T05:00:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/uncategorized\/2019\/02\/13\/more-than-half-who-took-survey-are-dissatisfied-with-military-privatized-housing\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T08:52:57","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T08:52:57","slug":"more-than-half-who-took-survey-are-dissatisfied-with-military-privatized-housing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/management\/pay-benefits\/2019\/02\/13\/more-than-half-who-took-survey-are-dissatisfied-with-military-privatized-housing\/","title":{"rendered":"More than half who took survey are dissatisfied with military privatized housing"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

More than half of military families who responded to a survey about their privatized housing <\/a>reported having a negative experience, according to a new report released on the eve of a hearing where lawmakers will scrutinize the condition of military housing<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some families reported living with problems such as black mold, lead paint<\/a>, lead in their water, faulty wiring, poor water quality, pesticides, and a wide variety of vermin, bugs and other animals such as bats, skunks, squirrels and snakes in their homes, according to a preliminary analysis of the survey data, reported by the Military Family Advisory Network<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The organization conducted the survey online for one week, from Jan. 30 to Feb. 6, and garnered 16,779 responses. Of those, 14,558 met the requirement of living in privatized military family housing currently or within the past three years. More than half of those who responded were in the ranks of E4 to E6; and enlisted overall made up 75 percent of those who responded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As they dig more into the data, researchers will look at whether the experiences differ by rank, and whether there are any geographic areas of concern, and concerns with any particular management companies, said Shannon Razsadin, executive director of the organization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The survey was not a scientific random sampling. However, their respondents are \u201cpretty reflective of the full force,\u201d she said, “so we\u2019ll be able to identify if this is something that tends to be more egregious at some ranks than others. The online survey was pushed out through their advisory board and on social media, she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Razsadin said she was \u201cshocked\u201d at how many responses they received in the one-week period, and described the dissatisfaction rate as alarming. The sheer number of responses showed that \u201cpeople felt safe and comfortable coming to us and sharing their stories, and knowing we would do something with them,\u201d she said. Some families said they feared retribution for making complaints, and some reported attempts by housing company representatives, and some military commands, to silence their complaints.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSome are dealing with major long-term implications, and while things probably can\u2019t be made right for them, we do hope that moving forward, families have a safe place to live,\u201d Razsadin said. With the other challenges that military families deal with, such as deployments and frequent moves, she said, \u201cwe feel strongly that a safe home is not something that a family should have to worry about.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some of those long-term implications are health issues, with illnesses that the families report are caused by poor housing conditions. Further analysis is being conducted to determine how many families reported such illnesses related to their housing, said Shelley Kimball, research director for MFAN. Some families reported illnesses in their open-ended answers to questions that invited them to share their stories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On Wednesday, military families, officials at five privatized housing companies, and DoD and service officials will testify at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing. The four family members testifying are from across the services, representing both officers and enlisted service members, according to a Senate staff member.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Razsadin said Military Family Advisory Network\u2019s research also included interviewing 40 families who provided contact information when they completed the survey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The residents who responded to the survey included a mix of those living in older, and often, historic homes, as well as those living in newer homes, Kimball said, but they\u2019ll know more about where the problems are as they delve into the survey data. Lead paint issues indicate that they are older homes, because lead paint has been banned since 1978.<\/p>\n\n\n\t