Partners On a Mission

The DOD recognizes how closely a military family’s living environment is tied to their health, wellbeing, and happiness. That’s prompted the Department to make enhancing the quality of military communities a priority, adopting a comprehensive Strategy for Resilient and Healthy Defense Communities. The stakes are high. The DOD realizes that providing an exceptional living experience is critical to recruiting and retaining a strong, healthy, and ready military force.

Two organizations who have teamed up to assist the DOD to advance this Strategy are Corvias®, a long-time DOD partner under the Military Housing Privatization Initiative program, and VitacorpsTM, a science-driven company that specializes in indoor wellness. Corvias and Vitacorps embarked on their mission by using a human-first approach fueled by proven science to identify the best path to follow.

“We conducted assessments of the houses and the environment to determine what we could do to bring effective wellness interventions to the service members and their families,” said Vitacorps president Rob Bellmar. “What are the current baseline results when we test? What’s the right science-backed solution that will have the most impact on residents there? What is the budget? What can we do? The answers to these questions pointed us to interventions focused on air, water and light.”

Clear Advantages

Addressing the quality of air, water, and light makes perfect sense since they all are so integral to our wellbeing. They are also areas that can often be improved relatively quickly and cost effectively with minimal disruption to families and their homes. For example, Corvias and Vitacorps installed air purification systems that can help reduce the presence of pollens, mold spores, and pet dander. Water filtration systems were deployed to protect soldiers and their families from harmful forever chemicals such as PFAS, toxins, and other contaminants. And, circadian lighting solutions that can promote better sleep by providing warm light in bedrooms were installed. These lighting solutions also provide residents with the option to turn on energizing light in the morning that can help them wake up and start their day by stopping melatonin production. Air, water, and light investments like these continue a long line of ongoing efforts made by Corvias aimed at important quality of life issues that affect military families, including nutrition, physical activity, mental health, and sense of community.

“It was a very thoughtful process,” said Denise Hauck, Corvias senior vice president of property operations. “We took the time to do the testing and find what the best solutions were for our locations and our residents and their lifestyles, what they particularly needed to achieve maximum wellbeing.”

It’s Working

So far, 50 homes managed by Corvias at Fort Meade and Fort Liberty have been upgraded and certified by the International WELL Building InstituteTM (IWBI). These homes are the first military housing units ever to receive the prestigious WELL Residence certification, which validates that evidence-based solutions have been implemented across key categories, including air and water quality, thermal comfort, lighting, and other critical indoor environmental quality factors.

“By focusing on the health and wellbeing of service members and their families, Corvias is raising the bar for military housing,” said Rachel Hodgdon, president and CEO of the IWBI. “We applaud Corvias for this milestone achievement.”

Most importantly, the residents are happier. A survey of Fort Meade residents found an 82% increase in satisfaction with their housing after the upgrades there.

Moving Forward with Confidence

The early success of Corvias’ Wellness Residential Program proves that significant, life-enhancing improvements can be made to the DOD’s full inventory of homes sooner rather than later.

“One of the great things about the types of technology we’re putting in is they can be installed today,” Hauck points out. “You don’t have to wait until major renovations are needed that will displace a family. You can really put these in now with minimal disturbance. And we take care of everything. We do the assessment, we determine the solution, we source the solution and the funding. We can find a way to make it happen today.”

For more information about how WELL strategies can enrich the lives of military families, visit the Corvias Wellness Residential Program web site.

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¹ Department of Defense Strategy for Resilient and Healthy Defense Communities. February 2024. Accessed September 19, 2024. https://media.defense.gov/2024/Feb/15/2003394891/-1/-1/1/RESILIENT_AND_HEALTHY_DEFENSE_COMMUNITIES_OSD008028_23_RES_FINAL%20.PDF.

The U.S. Army is working to identify solutions to improve and modernize housing conditions and fulfill a housing demand that exists for junior enlisted soldiers living on-base. Strategic housing partners are bringing innovative ideas and expertise to help solve these unique housing needs. The work includes new buildings or renovations that incorporate more modern designs and energy efficiencies. All efforts support the Army’s most critical asset – its people.

A Serious Investment

Housing is central to preparedness on-base, it is also a way to attract and maintain talent and is a priority to ensure soldiers are provided the best possible quality of life. The appeal of living off-base can be enticing, however, choosing to live on-base brings many advantages like affordability, enhanced amenities, and the convenience of being closer to work and physical training. It also means being part of the military community among a group of peers that have shared common values and experiences. This built-in community is key to a soldier’s success and general well-being.

Providing the type of housing and common spaces to help reinforce the military community takes a well-thought-out vision, detailed planning, driven leadership, and a focus on the long-term benefits to residents. It also takes a serious investment of time and money.

The Army, on average, is investing a billion dollars annually to renovate housing. It is an investment with clear benefits: talent retention, care for people, and support for overall resiliency and readiness goals.

However, that investment will not be enough to provide all the options required for single-soldier housing. As a result, private partners are stepping up to help with solutions of their own.

“Our people deserve quality housing and desirable housing options. We are collaborating … with partners to invest more than a billion dollars of funds in more housing renovations and new development.” – Christine Wormuth, Secretary of the Army.

Supporting Single Soldiers with On-Base Apartments

The idea of apartments on-base is gaining traction. While not widespread, privatized apartments have been built on military installations and have been proven to be successful. Helping to fill the demand, military apartments provide an alternative for unaccompanied soldiers, geo-bachelors, or those on temporary duty.

One such success story is the Reece Crossings apartment community located within Fort Meade, Maryland. Corvias developed this first-of-its-kind 432-unit military apartment community in 2012 under the authorities granted by the Military Housing Privatization Initiative (MHPI). The $292 million complex was designed as the first garden-style apartment complex developed for the Army. Today, at almost full occupancy, Reece Crossings boasts a near perfect resident satisfaction rating.

This project followed green development principles and utilized Low Impact Development (LID) and Energy Star guidelines. The 38-acre site even includes advanced stormwater management systems like bioretention, rain gardens, and landscape infiltration. Solar panels were also added to the project to offset about 14% of the total electricity consumed by the community.

The apartments at Reece Crossings attracts single soldiers with their robust amenities, short-term lease options, and affordable rent which includes all utilities and cable. The facilities include a total quality-of-life-package, including a community swimming pool, communal gathering areas, a fitness center, volleyball and basketball courts, and community paths. Residents also enjoy enhanced on-site maintenance services and complimentary furniture packages. In addition, safety measures such as secure storage facilities and an on-site management team provide peace of mind for residents. By utilizing a comprehensive approach to this innovative project, Corvias was able to enhance the housing options at Fort Meade and help strengthen the local Army community.

Housing Solutions for Unaccompanied Soldiers

Corvias’ Randolph Pointe, a 432-unit apartment community for senior non-commissioned officers (NCOs) and geo-bachelors at Fort Liberty is another example of a solution for housing needs. It provides a one-bedroom housing option on-base.

A high priority for this development was to balance the feeling of living in a market-rate property with the pride and convenience of being on the installation. Corvias created a culture within the Randolph Pointe area that welcomes a diverse population of leaders focused on mission-critical operations. The additional benefits and amenities create opportunities for these officers to connect and unwind from their high-stress day-to-day roles.

In addition to high-quality housing, the community includes shared amenities in a centrally located 6,500 square foot clubhouse. This facility provides residents with a place to work out, check email, and submit maintenance requests. Indoor amenities include a multipurpose room, fully equipped weightlifting and cardio spaces, locker rooms, a lounge with flat-screen television and kitchen, a business center, and staff offices.

Outdoor amenities range from a swimming pool with lap lanes, basketball and sand volleyball courts, and outdoor grilling areas. These amenities, along with an on-site operations and maintenance team, are available to all residents of Randolph Pointe. The Corvias team even hosts several events throughout the year, to commemorate holidays (e.g., Thanksgiving luncheon, end of year holiday party), fun milestones (e.g., National Pie Day, National Grilled Cheese Day), and more to further engage service members, while providing value-added fun.

According to the latest findings from the tenant satisfaction survey conducted by CEL & Associates, Inc., Randolph Pointe has received excellent feedback from its residents. The survey evaluated various aspects such as customer service, property operations, and maintenance. Randolph Pointe has earned the highest possible rating of “Outstanding” in CEL’s comprehensive eight-tier scoring system.

Contemporary Solution to Existing Housing

The initial experiments of Reece Crossings and Randolph Pointe have provided great options for unaccompanied housing. These success stories preview the type of support that private MHPI partners can provide to help the military meet its housing needs.

These projects demonstrate that modern apartment communities can improve the overall quality of life for the military. With higher morale, preparedness, and retention rates among soldiers, there is considerable evidence to suggest that new apartment communities could be a contemporary solution to aging housing infrastructure.

To learn more about community housing solutions visit www.corvias.com.

At Corvias-managed housing communities, the capital improvement strategy focuses on implementing sustainable and energy-efficient features in military housing and is estimated to yield $240M in future utility savings over 30 years across its installations. With a focus on energy efficiency, water efficiency and sustainable design practices, Corvias has established itself as the partner of choice to improve military housing and increase resiliency of its communities.

The demand is expected to grow. By 2035, the Army plans to install microgrids on all installations to improve power reliability and decrease grid disturbances. By 2040, the goal is to achieve on-site, carbon pollution-free electricity (CFE) generation for critical missions. For more than two decades, Corvias has partnered with the Army, helping to reduce energy and water consumption as well as the dependence on energy grids.

Corvias has already delivered 28MW of rooftop and ground mount solar across three installations, and an additional phase of 6MW will be completed by the end of the year for a total of 34MW of operational solar energy. Supporting new opportunities and helping achieve resiliency goals, Corvias, in partnership with the Army, has five additional projects in development that will add 55MW+ of renewable energy.

“Corvias shares the DoD’s commitment to a resilient and sustainable future,” said Pablo Varela who leads renewable energy and utilities management for Corvias. “We’ve been doing this a long time and are able to apply our proven approach to multiply and grow the program for the U.S. Army.”

Corvias’ multi-phase approach, in collaboration with the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Energy and Sustainability and alignment with the U.S. Army Climate Strategy, includes asset optimization and efficiency, renewable energy generation and microgrid readiness – another milestone in achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045 for the Army. The Corvias-Fort Meade projects in Maryland provide an example of significant progress towards meeting this target. Currently, solar panels have been installed on nearly 60 percent of the more than 2,800 on-base houses at Fort Meade.

Energy-efficient and reliable power is essential not only for mission-critical facilities in an emergency or training operation, but for the many families that live on-post with an active duty family member. Currently, the company is collaborating with the Army and local utility company to install an additional 6MW+ of solar energy, for a total of 20MW+ supporting Fort Meade Communities. This extensive plan will produce renewable energy that will supply the local power grid as well as provide resiliency to Fort Meade itself, should the regional power grid shut down.

Other installations receiving energy upgrades resulting from Corvias’ partnership with the U.S. Army include Fort Riley and Aberdeen Proving Ground. Fort Riley is in the third phase of a multi-phase solar energy program that is one of the largest solar programs in the state of Kansas. When finished, it will power more than 40% of on-base houses. The project will also be microgrid-ready, securing energy needs for housing as well as critical installation facilities. In Maryland, Aberdeen Proving Ground was the recipient of one of the first Corvias solar projects where rooftop and ground mount solar panels were installed over the course of several years. Currently, Corvias has 7.1MW of operational sustainable energy, with opportunity to grow, at that location.