Here's Rep. Blake Moore's solution for affordable military housing – Deseret News

Rep. Blake Moore introduced a new bipartisan bill this week to address the housing concerns of military members, including those stationed at Hill Air Force Base.

Moore, R-Utah, said that after he joined the House Ways and Means Committee, Clearfield Mayor Mark Shepherd approached him about wanting to build affordable homes for lower-ranking enlisted service members with the help of private developers.

During a press call on Thursday afternoon, Moore told the Deseret News that the previously state-of-the-art Hill Air Force Base dormitory is falling apart.

"They have corners sectioned off because of falling bricks. It's not up to standard," Moore said. "Couple that with a military constriction appropriations budget that is backlogged to the gills. ... We don't have the solutions in Congress anymore to just say, 'Oh, just put a bunch more money in those coffers.' We're in a debt and deficit situation."

He said it's time for innovative solutions, like the Low Income Housing for Defense Communities Act, aimed at bringing relief to military families living close to major bases like northern Utah's Hill Air Force Base.

The bill would provide tax credits for developers who construct affordable housing within 15 miles of a military base. Areas around at least 120 "mid-level major bases" would qualify.

What housing issues do service members face in Utah? Military members often struggle to come up with funds for rent in Utah despite receiving a Basic Allowance for Housing, said Shepherd.

"Two, three and even four Airmen are forced to share an apartment so they can afford the rent," he said.

"While there may be low-income housing in the areas surrounding the installations, the list of applicants for these units is long and the military members either won't qualify because their BAH is included in their income calculations or they are so far down the list that they have been relocated to their next assignment before they make it to the top of the list," he said.

Shepherd said the bill would also change the way income is calculated, and exclude the housing allowance as income for service members.

"Having our military members who have volunteered to put their lives on the line to defend our nation live in sub-par housing, or struggle to afford food because all of their available income goes to housing, sends the wrong message to the military members and to the communities in which they live," the Clearfield mayor said.

According to a press release from Moore's office, Utah experienced a 27% increase in housing costs and an 18% increase in population in 2021.

A Hill Air Force Base spokesperson told KSL.com that the privatized housing on the base is 98% full and the wait list tends to be six to eight months long.

How can affordable military housing encourage military readiness? Moore argued the lack of affordable housing is becoming a national security issue because it impacts the readiness of military members at Hill Air Force Base.

"As hundreds of lower-enlisted service members are struggling to afford housing near the base and officers are being forced to turn down assignments in Utah because of the difficult real estate market, this bill will spur development interest for Low-Income Housing Tax Credit construction near large installations like HAFB," he said.

Rep. Marilyn Strickland, D-Wash., who co-sponsored the bill, argued that for military readiness, retaining and recruiting comes down to "word of mouth," she told Military.com in an interview.

A recent Military Family Life survey found that housing allowance and off-base housing were one of their top five concerns for active-duty members and their spouses.

"In some of the markets that we represent, the cost of housing is high because the supply is constrained," she said.

Emily Cadik, CEO of the Affordable Housing Tax Credit Coalition, said the housing tax credit is a "powerful tool" that has been around for almost 40 years.

"The low income housing tax credit in Utah statewide has financed over 33,000 affordable homes in Utah," she noted. This bill would aid the construction of nearly two million homes nationwide, but, she argued, more needs to be done, pointing toward inflation as the reason behind the high cost of housing. Moore also agreed that this bill is a building block in solving a larger issue.

"We're creating a solution for some of the most important people that come to our communities, and they may only be here for a short time, a season. They all do tend to retire back at Hill Air Force Base area, though. We do take a bit of pride in knowing that we have so many former Hill Air Force Base active duty members (retire here)," Moore said.