Ask the Milies: Solving the BHA and Housing Puzzle
by Kerry-Ann Ellington, Ask the Milies
Dear Milies,
My husband and I are still debating as to what we would like to as far as our living conditions, A: Live on post or B: Live off post. This is something that we need to start figuring out. I would like to live on post but I heard if you do if you don't have any kids then you will only get a one bedroom and were wanting a two bedroom plus they take all of your BHA. Where as, we could live off post and save some of the BHA and get a 2 bedroom place. Maybe you could help me understand more about this.
Dear Steff,
Over the years I've lived both on and off post for different reasons. I was like you, I wanted to make sure that if we did live on post that we weren't going to be stuck in housing that I would be miserable with. However, I didn't want to end up spending an arm and leg on housing off post. I do understand your concern about not wanting to just get a 1 bedroom.
My suggestion to you would be to contact the housing office on post and confirm with them what type of housing your husband would be qualified for and go take a look for yourself whether you'd be ok with living there. Keep in mind that when you live on post even though a lot of your BHA is taken away each month, you don't pay for water or light on post and those two bills can be excessive each month. There's also the issue of being more secure and getting to connect with fellow Military families on post.
After you contact the housing office budget and see which option would leave you guys with more money at the end of the month. The one thing I've learned is that each branch of the military and each duty station has its own set of rules as far as housing is concerned. What you may have heard may not be correct and sometimes you end up getting into the housing you want. So be sure to contact your housing office and discuss it with them.
~Kerry-Ann Ellington
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