Finding the Right Military Home for Your Family

As an active U.S. military member, you and your family may have several housing options at your disposal. The question is: Which is right for you? Whether you’re looking to live on base, in the barracks or buy a single-family home nearby, it’s important you understand what’s available to you and what legislation is in place to make housing affordable, accessible and safe.

Your Housing Choices 

It doesn’t matter whether you want to live on or off base or need a home big enough to hold your whole family—You can have a handful of military housing options available to you depending on your specific needs.

On-Base 

Living on-base comes with some extra advantages: Soldier support, options for low-priced shopping, dining facilities and more. Housing options on-base include: 

Barracks: If you don’t have to worry about housing a family, you may choose to live on-base with other active-duty soldiers. This is a common choice for many newly enlisted soldiers. The barracks are similar to a college dorm room and have a common area, kitchen and shared bathroom.  

Apartments: Some locations may be able to offer apartments to soldiers with certain requirements. These are typically the same as apartments off-base. 

Townhouses and Single-Family Homes: If you need a little bit more space for your family, you may opt for a townhouse or single-family home, depending on how big your family is.

Off-Base 

Depending on your station, you could buy or rent housing off-base, but you’ll need to consider what to do if you’re reassigned or deployed. If you’re renting, make sure your contract allows you to break the lease. If you’re planning to buy a home, you’ll need to sell or rent it quickly. Make sure you’re aware of these caveats and, if you do decide to live off-base, that you have a plan in place to be able to leave without penalty when you need to.

Your Housing Allowance 

One unique factor when finding housing as a U.S. military service member is that you may be able to get basic allowance for housing (BAH). This is a stipend established generally based on your location, pay grade and whether you have dependents. Here are the different types of BAH: 

BAH With and Without Dependents: Depending on the number of dependents you have, you could be eligible for basic BAH if you don’t get government housing. 

Partial BAH: If you’re living in government housing and don’t have dependents, you may be eligible for a partial BAH. 

BAH-Differential: This type of BAH is available to those paying child support and living in government housing. 

BAH Reserve Component/Transit: This type of BAH is reserved for service members in specific situations, such as reservists on active duty for 30 or fewer days or when a member is in transit from an area where no BAH exists.

Your Housing Protections 

The Servicemember’s Civil Relief Act (SCRA) was created to provide active service members with legal and financial protections. This act protects against civil obligations so that you can devote all your energy to duty and help relieve stress on your family. There are a couple specific housing protections that service members often ask about: 

1. Interest Rate: If you or you and your spouse took out a home loan prior to starting your service, you may be able to reduce your interest rate to a maximum of 6 percent per year while you’re serving and up to 180 days after active-duty service.  
2. Foreclosure: If you had a mortgage prior to starting your service, you can’t be foreclosed on without a court order while you’re serving and up to 1 year after active-duty service.  
3. Lease Termination: You may be able to terminate your residential lease with a written notice of termination and a copy of your deployment orders without penalty. 

There are many more legal and financial protections provided by the SCRA that were created so you could focus on your duty. If you have questions or need clarification, you can contact your closest military legal office on the U.S. Armed Forced Legal Assistance website. 

In addition to the SCRA, The Military Housing Privatization Initiative (MHPI) was established to address any poor conditions of military housing and help improve living conditions for you and your family. Since 1996, the MHPI has helped leverage funding to create and renovate thousands of homes and improve military housing. For more information on the MHPI and its resources, visit the Military Housing Association.

Accessible Military Housing for You and Your Family 

No matter your housing needs, you have access to many resources that encourage access to safe, clean and affordable housing for you and your family. Understanding your rights as a military service member and knowing what’s available to you can greatly help you decide what works for your own situation.