Some GOP Congress members say housing conditions for military families in Florida need improvement.
North Florida Rep. Aaron Bean (FL-04) is seeking a full review of the Military Housing Privacy Policy Initiative (MHPI) following disturbing reports of unsafe living conditions affecting military families across the country.
Bean cites several stories from a Florida family in the Northeast, including those whose children are currently facing lifelong health issues. “I am very concerned about the stories I have received regarding dangerous housing conditions under the Military Housing Privatization Initiative (MHPI),” the lawmaker said.
Bean says there are plenty of horror stories of military families living in bad condition, including mold contamination, children with chronic respiratory problems, and vision problems that require lifelong medical care.
Bean is furious because of what he was witnessing. “Instead of correcting the issue properly, the housing company accidentally opened contaminated walls and spread the toxins throughout the house. The situation reportedly worsened as they withheld environmental test results, attempting to fraudulently resume denied insurance claims and removed environmental services requests.
Rep. Bean believes future laws will address these issues and would like to look at some points to improve housing conditions for our service members. Important regulations include:
Allow more than $1.4 billion for new construction of barracks and family homes
Requires the Department of Defense to submit plans to fulfill its legal obligations regarding health, safety and environmental hazards
An independent assessment of housing conditions, residents’ support gaps, and private contractor performance is required.
Strengthening contract terms to better protect military families.
