Greater Emphasis on Occupant Responsibilities Can Reduce Military Family Housing Costs

Gao ID: PLRD-83-77 June 6, 1983

GAO evaluated the Department of Defense's (DOD) effectiveness in identifying and assessing occupant damages to military family housing and its efficiency in operating self-help maintenance programs.

GAO found that, although recent congressional legislation has provided additional authority and incentive to collect for damages, DOD remains slow in identifying occupant liability and implementing collection activities. GAO noted that family housing maintenance costs amounted to over $400 million in 1981. Without explicit guidance to identify repair liability, unidentified damages are often treated as routine maintenance, and repair costs are absorbed by the government. GAO also found that, while self-help maintenance programs have significant potential to reduce maintenance costs, the current implementation of the self-help concept appears to be falling short of expectations, and some programs may cost more than they save. The programs are also handicapped by weak controls over funds, inventory, and issued materials. GAO concluded that, before potential benefits from the self-help programs can be realized, changes are needed to correct the problems it identified.

Recommendations

Our recommendations from this work are listed below with a Contact for more information. Status will change from "In process" to "Open," "Closed - implemented," or "Closed - not implemented" based on our follow up work.

Director: Henry W. Connor Team: General Accounting Office: National Security and International Affairs Division Phone: (202) 275-4141


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