Air Force privatized housing program enhances community connection

  • Published
  • By Breanne Smith
  • AFCEC Public Affairs
JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas --   Last year, more than 55,000 Airmen, many with families, made a permanent-change-of-station move from one Air Force base to another.

In the name of service and duty, these families picked up and left the communities they knew and the friends they'd made. Although some elected to live off base, many chose to join fellow military families living on base in homes owned and managed by private companies.

"When housing privatization went into effect nearly 16 years ago, it was the Air Force's number one quality of life initiative," said Col. Gregory McClure, chief of portfolio management, a division within the Air Force Civil Engineer Center's Installations Directorate.

Potential housing agreements are evaluated by more than a company's proposal for home improvements and features, McClure said. His division also focuses on neighborhood services provided, with a goal of creating a stronger community atmosphere for families.

For example, at Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo., where approximately 900 military families live on base, homes owned and managed by Balfour Beatty Communities come with neighborhood extras.

"There are a lot of perks for living on base," said Laylan Pennel, BBC's LifeWorks coordinator for Whiteman. "All our amenities are free."

In addition to upgraded playgrounds and picnic areas, BBC also added a splash pad, a recreation center, a 75-foot long indoor pool and, most recently, a 2,500 square foot neighborhood center.

Military spouse and mother of two, Jaclyn Stubbs and her family received PCS orders for Whiteman not long before BBC took over ownership in March 2012.

"We love the parks and playgrounds around base, and we really loved when Balfour Beatty took over the housing and implemented all the Lifeworks programs, new community centers and activities," said Stubbs. "We participate as much as possible."

In addition to building camaraderie among neighbors, Stubbs also sees the practical value the activities offer.

"It instills a strong sense of community to have these amenities," she said. "And as a stay-at-home mother with young children, it offers many activities each month free of charge for us to do."

From Jujitsu and yoga to creative crafts and baby swim classes, Pennel said she likes to keep the Lifeworks schedule full of activities that help residents connect.

"We get new residents from everywhere, from Alaska and overseas; sometimes I'm the first social contact these families meet even before they receive their household goods," Pennel said. "I like to take that opportunity to find out their hobbies and the types of things they like to do, that way I can help make them feel at home more quickly."

With one last contract agreement awaiting completion, AFCEC's housing program is essentially fully privatized in the U.S., a milestone McClure considers a victory on the home front.

"Military families constantly deal with uncertainty," he said. "Through our housing program, we are able to take some of the stress and some of the worry off the table by ensuring families can expect to move from one outstanding base neighborhood to another."

McClure credits AFCEC's project managers for structuring deals that offer the highest return for families.

"These deals didn't just fall into place. Each one was critically analyzed prior to selection and faced the same question, 'Is this company, this project owner, going to place the highest priority on our families?'" McClure said.

Back in Missouri, the Stubbs family is preparing for their fifth move in 13 years. Despite their relatively short time at Whiteman, Jaclyn reflects positively on the entire experience.
"We love hearing Taps and Retreat each day, we love hearing the B2 and other planes take off," she said. "There is truly nothing I dislike about living on base."