Navy changes Naples area housing policy

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Navy changes Naples area housing policy
By Lisa M. Novak, Stars and Stripes
European edition, Thursday, February 26, 2009

NAPLES, Italy — All military personnel moving to the Naples area now will be required to live in government quarters if it is available, the Navy announced last week, reversing a long-standing policy.

Until now, any servicemember ranked E-5 or above was allowed to live off base, or "on the economy," so that troops and their families could experience living in a foreign country, officials said in November.

Base officials did not answer repeated queries about why the change was made, however occupancy rates on the support site in Gricignano — which includes schools, commissary, exchange and hospital — have consistently remained low over the past several years.

In general, the Navy attempts to maintain an occupancy rate of 95 percent in government housing before allowing servicemembers to rent off base, but the Navy’s housing policy gives base commanding officers discretion to deviate from that rate.

The contract for leasing the support site, which is held by local landlord Mirabella, requires the Navy to pay rent on all base apartments, vacant or occupied. Last year, the Navy paid $3.7 million on empty units with "approximately 237 vacant units at any given time," according to housing officials. There are nearly 1,000 housing units, mostly apartments, on the support site.


Rest of article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=60987