{"id":42784,"date":"2023-10-12T12:52:21","date_gmt":"2023-10-12T12:52:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/uncategorized\/2023\/10\/12\/leaders-face-questions-over-rent-increases-spouse-employment-and-more\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T04:18:37","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T04:18:37","slug":"leaders-face-questions-over-rent-increases-spouse-employment-and-more","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/pay-benefits\/2023\/10\/12\/leaders-face-questions-over-rent-increases-spouse-employment-and-more\/","title":{"rendered":"Leaders face questions over rent increases, spouse employment and more"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

WASHINGTON \u2014 When the Defense Department announces increases in the Basic Allowance for Housing<\/a>, sometimes rents immediately increase in the civilian community, a soldier told Army senior leaders, during a town hall Wednesday at the annual meeting of the Association of the U.S. Army.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn the last year, my rent has gone up and matched every single BAH increase so it\u2019s made no difference to my yearly income,\u201d said the soldier, based at Fort Carson, Colorado.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIs there anything we\u2019re going to put in place to protect service members so they [don\u2019t have to] live paycheck to paycheck anymore?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That housing allowance is a key financial component for military families, and over the last few years, service members have gotten boosts in pay and BAH to counter the increases in cost of living. \u201cHowever, as soon as those pay increases are announced, the surrounding community increases the cost of living and the rent,\u201d said the soldier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The senior leaders discussed some of their efforts across a myriad of areas to improve the lives of soldiers and families, including some areas where they need to push for change at the national level. Troops and families laid out some of their concerns, like the rent increases, to Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth, Chief of Staff of the Army Gen. Randy George, and Sergeant Major of the Army Michael Weimer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Information on military pay and BAH rates is public knowledge. The issue of how BAH rates affect the rental market in the local community has been brought up for decades, and has been periodically discussed by lawmakers and service officials, as well as how BAH rates are determined<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe talk about this all the time,\u201d said George, adding that he, too, has seen the lock-step increases happen in communities near installations. He added that the Army doesn\u2019t control the landlords who provide housing in the civilian community, and \u201csome of this is capitalism,\u201d George said. \u201cThey\u2019re facing inflation, too.\u201d Officials have floated some ideas such as giving a tax break to landlords who rent to service members, to alleviate some of the effects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis is a little bit of the dark side of capitalism,\u201d said Wormuth. \u201cLandlords are doing what\u2019s in their own interest. We, at our level nationally\u2026need to talk to members of Congress to highlight this issue.\u201d Garrison commanders also need to engage with their local community leaders and congressional representatives about the issue, she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When the Army is considering where to put soldiers when they\u2019re increasing force structure, this could be a factor that could be considered. They do an analysis of a variety of factors in determining the best locations, including community support for service members and families. The Army could \u201cput a little pressure on some of the property owners, to work with the business community and local authorities,\u201d she said, \u201cand say, \u2018Hey, if you are constantly raising rates every time we raise BAH, that\u2019s not supporting us. And frankly, it\u2019s making it harder for everyone in Colorado Springs to be in an affordable place.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Senior leaders will also weigh in on another nationwide issue \u2014 states\u2019 implementation of a new law that requires them to allow military spouses to transfer professional licenses <\/a>following a permanent change of station move. \u201cWe\u2019ve seen uneven implementation of that,\u201d Wormuth said. \u201cSo we need to continue working with governors across the country to get that law implemented.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The law took effect in January, aimed at easing the strains on military spouses who face bureaucratic and expensive processes to transfer their license to a new location in order to work. It affects a variety of occupations ranging from nursing to cosmetology to teaching, for example.<\/p>\n\n\n\t