The Navy has new authority to allow sailors to upgrade their living conditions as part of a plan to improve overall conditions for troops.
The 2025 National Defense Authorization Act specifically grants the Navy the authority to give a housing allowance to any sailor E6 and below. Traditionally, younger, unmarried sailors live in the barracks or on board ships, even while they are at their homeport.
Last January, Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy James Honea told the U.S. House Armed Services Committee that the Navy didn’t have room to house 800 sailors per aircraft carrier.
He also told Congress that the Navy did not believe it had authority to grant a housing allowance to unmarried sailors E3 and below so they could find housing off ships and in the community.
“We want to send the message that dignified housing is a high priority, and that's why these investments are so important,” said Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine, who is a member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services committee
The services have been under pressure to improve conditions for their youngest troops. Navy studies have suggested that poor living conditions, especially during maintenance periods, contributes to the elevated suicide rate among junior sailors.
“I'm not sure that the goal is that we definitely want everybody to have an off-ship option if they want it,” Kaine said. “But the key is the conditions have to be acceptable. Conditions that we feel like respect the sacrifices that sailors are making.”
The bill also sets aside additional money to repair and expand barracks throughout the services.
In Hampton Roads, $16 million is earmarked to rebuild barracks at Naval Air Station Oceana. The Air Force will receive $81 million to expand the dormitories at Joint Base Langley-Fort Eustis. The Air Force recently moved all F-22 training to Virginia from Florida after a hurricane, creating a backlog, Kaine said.
The latest NDAA requires the Pentagon to study plans to privatize barrack housing throughout the services. In March, Leslie Gould, head of Navy Installations Command told WHRO that the Navy was working on a plan to privatize all housing for junior sailors throughout Hampton Roads. That effort would cost an estimated $200 to $400 million, but it was not included in the latest defense bill.
Lawmakers want to avoid the problems that happened when family housing was privatized a generation ago. Tenant complaints lead to lawsuits and Congressional inquiries into poorly maintained buildings, Kaine said.
“If there are those who could do housing better than having it assigned directly to the Pentagon, let them do it,” Kaine said. “However, it's got to be supervised very, very closely, and there has to be continuing accountability and responsibility on the shoulders of military leadership to supervise any private operator.”
