Is There a Need for Additional Family Housing at Fort Stewart?

Gao ID: CED-78-108 June 2, 1978

An analysis was conducted of the capabilities of the communities near the Army's new one-division base at Fort Stewart/Hunter Army Airfield to support the Army's need for 750 new on-base housing units. These units, authorized in October 1975, were estimated to cost $44 million. Construction was expected to be completed early in 1978.

Although the Department of Defense's policy has been to rely on communities' local housing market near military installations as the primary source of military family housing, sufficient housing is not available in the communities surrounding Fort Stewart to accomodate the military families moving in. Investors have been reluctant to finance housing in the Fort Stewart area because there has been no investment protection in case the Army reduced its staffing levels at Fort Stewart. P.L. 95-128, enacted in October 1977, provides the Department of Housing and Urban Development with authority to issue mortgage insurance for property located near military installations in federally impacted areas. The influx of military personnel has affected community services and resources such as schools, health and social services, and police and fire protection.



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