KAFB housing meetings ‘positive’

BILOXI, Miss. - Keesler Air Force Base (KAFB) and its private-housing base contractor Hunt Companies are making progress on solving problems residents have experienced, according to officials at a pair of town-hall like meetings with base residents this week. The meetings come after the release of military family surveys following a 2018 U.S. Senate committee hearing that included testimony from Crystal Cornwall, a former resident at Keesler AFB and a 2017 lawsuit filed against Hunt Companies, the contractor that manages Keesler housing. Cornwall went on to found the non-profit Safe Military Housing Initiative. Col. Paul Fidler, deputy commander of the 81st Mission Support Group (81st MSG), said there were “very high emotions” at meetings on the issue, but showed positive change. “I think that process is starting to take effect, and our goal with all of that is (A) we resolved their issues in a very timely manner, and (B), we start to rebuild that trust,” he told WLOX. There was a great deal of “poor communication” among the players in base housing, from the residents, command and contractor, which led to problems that centered on recurring mold issues; and that residents claimed that Hunt was not correcting. Hunt has initiated a ‘Moisture Remediation Plan’ being overseen by the 81st MSG. There are 1,188 residential housing units for Keesler - three in Biloxi and one in Gautier. Fidler is hoping the survey results and meetings will help solve all housing issues, not just mold. (Source: WLOX 08/01/19)