Military Housing Flight works for Hill's Airmen

  • Published
  • By Micah Garbarino
  • 75th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah --  Military housing at Hill Air Force Base may be privatized, but that doesn't mean the Air Force doesn't have a big role in ensuring the quality of Airmen's homes.

The 75th Civil Engineer Group Housing Management Office is focused on providing affordable, quality housing for Hill's total force Airmen, said flight chief Lareen Parkinson.

With 1,084 housing units, nearly 450 dormitory rooms on base, and a variety of housing options off base, it's quite a job serving active duty, Guard, Reserve, civil service, and retirees.

The project owner for the housing units on base is Boyer Hill Military Housing. They lease the homes to eligible tenants, and are responsible for maintaining, repairing, constructing and managing the community. The Housing Management Office is there to determine resident's eligibility and entitlements, and act as a liaison between the Air Force and Boyer Hill.

"We want to ensure the best quality of life possible for our Airmen," Parkinson said. "We represent the Air Force and help ensure Boyer Hill Military Housing is an active part of the community and are abiding by the terms of their agreement with the government."

Housing management members often accompany Boyer Hill employees to move-in and move-out inspections and pre-inspections, as well as conduct daily, weekly and monthly assessments of various Boyer Hill programs as required by the housing agreement.

If there is a dispute between residents and Boyer Hill, Airmen can turn to the Housing Management Office for help.

"We are in a position to provide mediation and conflict resolution when disagreements arise. Whether it is move out charges due to damages or waiting list issues, we try to find the best answer and, if we need to, we can call on the Airmen's first sergeant to help us as well," Parkinson said. 

The flight also manages unaccompanied housing for Airmen, working to provide a "modern, functional, well maintained and comfortable home." The dorm rooms come furnished, wired for cable and include microwaves, dishwashers and refrigerators. In an effort to promote unit camaraderie the flight also does their best to assign Airmen rooms near others from their units.

Similar to base housing, there is also a move-in and move-out inspection and pre-inspection for dorm residents to ensure current and future residents have a comfortable, clean place to call home when they move to Hill, Parkinson said.

For those Airmen who would prefer to live off base, the flight keeps a listing of apartments, condos and homes for rent and for sale in the local community . They also track complaints against landlords and have the ability to put them on a "sanctions" list if there are an excessive amount of reported issues. 

There have been no properties on the sanctioned list for years, Parkinson said.  Airmen new to Hill AFB are encouraged to check in with the housing management office prior to entering a lease agreement off base.

The office will also be the base point of contact for the scheduled release of a new website www.homes.mil, which will allow the housing office, landlords and property managers to find and share rental listings with military members and families.

"We want Airmen to know that we're here for them and if they have any housing needs or questions they can come visit us," Parkinson said.

For more information, visit www.housing.af.mil/hill or call 801-777-1840.