The pending National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and DoD’s own budget requests, military leaders appear poised to take aim at a number of cases where military families have been forced to live in government-owned, privatized mold-encrusted homes. Lawmakers took a number of steps to press the Pentagon to deal with substandard housing issues that have been a black eye on the military. Among the provisions: Repeal regulations allowing DoD to place families in substandard housing; and a mandate to update minimum health and safety standards for all military base housing. The Military Family Advisory Network (MFAN) was encouraged by the bill and the impact it could have on morale. The bill calls for the need to ensure all government-owned and government-controlled military housing meet proper and healthy standards, according to MFAN Executive Director Shannon Razsadin. Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) praised the provisions saying it was important keep pressure on privatized military housing companies for accountability. Jim Moriarty, a veteran and Texas-based lawyer representing several military families in lawsuits against housing companies, said: Money isn’t the cure. “The problem is leadership and rules and requiring the leaders to follow the rules.” Mil.families cannot withhold rent if the housing conditions are substandard. “If you give (mil.families) the ability to cut off the rent, something will change and it will change very quickly,” Moriarty said. President Trump insists he will veto the bill. (Source: Washington Times 12/16/20) https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2020/dec/16/national-defense-authorization-act-presses-pentago/
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