CHARLESTON AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. –
Have you heard the rumor? Charleston AFB is considering privatizing its military family housing. Yes, it's true. We have begun the lengthy and thorough process of securing an agreement with a private contractor to manage our housing assets. What does that mean to you? Hopefully not much because our goal is to make privatization transparent for those who currently live in military family housing or desire to live on base in the future. In order to stay informed as we go through this process, keep an eye out for updates on housing privatization in the Airlift Dispatch. So, let's get started with what we know right now.
Why privatize? Simply put, the AF can no longer afford to provide desired housing at today's market standards. In a recent article in the Air Force Times, Maj. Gen. Del Eulberg, the Air Force Civil Engineer, stated that "privatization delivers housing faster than traditional military construction, at a lower cost, and at a higher standard." What does this mean for Air Force personnel? Privatized housing is typically larger, with more bedrooms and garages and the new developments also include amenities such as play areas, pools, community centers and jogging paths. Bottom line, recent experience has shown we can get more housing at higher standards for less money through privatization.
The privatization process. No base can stand alone in housing privatization. Not only are we working with other bases in our privatization group, Shaw AFB, Arnold AFB and Keesler AFB, but we also have lots of help from headquarters experts as well. Team Charleston members attended the Air Force Housing Privatization workshop in San Antonio, TX, in November to kick off the process.
Initial planning for our privatization effort has begun by the Air Force Housing Privatization Program Office at the Air Force Center for Engineering and the Environment, and we expect site orientation visits to occur by their staff and support contractors in late January or early February 2008. This will lead to a Request for Qualifications to solicit a highly qualified contractor by early this summer.
By late summer, the AFCEE team will select our developer and request approval from the Air Force Secretary. Then the developer will produce his concept for privatization at all four bases, and we are on our way. Our goal is to complete the privatization paperwork process by January 2009, and move into asset turnover and the capital improvement phase.
What does this really mean to you? We know current and prospective family housing residents will have many questions as we move through this process. We will continue to keep you informed in the Airlift Dispatch and other venues about the details of housing transfer, leases, Basic Allowance for Housing impact, utilities, housing maintenance and many others. There will be town hall meetings for you to attend, brochures passed out along the way, and ample opportunity for you to make inputs. So sit back, relax, and let us do the initial work needed to provide the quality housing all Airmen deserve for many years to come. Feel free to contact the Base Housing Office at 963-3860 anytime you have questions about any housing issue.