Team Minot implements DOD’s New Tenant Bill of Rights with boost to housing resident advocacy

MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, ND, UNITED STATES

04.30.2020

Story by Airman 1st Class Jesse Jenny 

Minot Air Force Base

MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D.-
On Feb. 25, 2020, in response to concerns raised across the Air Force by military members and their families, the Secretary of Defense Mark T. Esper and the Secretaries of the Air Force, Army and Navy signed and issued the Military Housing Privatization Initiative Tenant Bill of Rights.
The Bill, created by The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020, consists of 18 rights. It ensures privatized housing tenants “receive quality housing and fair treatment from the Military Housing Privatization Initiative project owners that operate and maintain privatized housing,” as stipulated in a Defense Department memo.
“It’s but one step that we’re taking toward improving the trust and accountability of our leadership to provide safe, healthy homes for our [military] families renting privatized housing,” added Secretary Esper.
As the DOD pledges to “continue to work with housing privatization project owners to ensure residents’ concerns are addressed,” Minot AFB installation leadership continues to take action as well.
5th Bomb Wing leadership have hired two new positions in the Military Housing Office to provide additional oversight of the privatized housing function. Leadership are also in the process of hiring a third position, a Privatized Housing Resident Advocate. The Resident Advocate will report directly to senior installation leadership and will serve as the liaison between privatized housing residents, the military housing office, the privatized housing project owner, and the Installation Commander. Day to day, the resident advocate will handle issues pertaining to privatized housing resident rights, advocate for safe and healthy housing, connect residents to resources, work dispute resolution, and manage resident council functions.
While the new Resident Advocate is brought on board, installation leadership is not waiting and is aggressively establishing these new functions right now in order to further raise accountability and improve residents’ voices in the Minot AFB housing community. For example, the 5th Civil Engineering Squadron Military Housing Office is right now launching the resident council for privatized housing residents.
“The Minot AFB Privatized Housing Resident Council will be established as the primary forum for residents to voice concerns and take an active role guiding the future of housing on Minot AFB,” said Tim Knickerbocker, 5th CES Housing Element Chief.
The council will have three self-nominated representatives from each Minot housing community. A call for nominations was made in mid-April. Interested housing residents should contact Knickerbocker for more information.
“Team Minot appreciates the fact that quality of life starts where Airmen, civilians, and their families live. While we have dedicated significant effort to ensure the health and safety of all privatized housing units, the Tenant Bill of Rights and Housing Resident Council are promising steps to improve standards, communication and overall transparency in the Minot AFB housing community,” said Col. Matthew Altman, 5th CES commander.
The Tenant Bill of Rights commits the DOD to provide the full benefits for 15 out of the 18 rights by May 1, 2020. These provisions regarding privatized housing are specified in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020.
From first-line supervisors to Installation Commander up through the USAF senior leadership, the pledge remains: “We will not let up on this issue until we see the quality of housing for our military members and their families improve across the nation.”
Volunteers interested in being a neighborhood representative on the council may send their name via email to [e-mail] or [e-mail].
More information on the MHPI Tenant Bill of Rights can be found on the DOD webpage at: https://media.defense.gov/2020/Feb/25/2002254968/-1/-1/1/MILITARY_HOUSING_PRIVATIZATION_INITIATIVE_TENANT_BILL_OF_RIGHTS.PDF.

• Date Taken: 04.30.2020
• Date Posted: 04.30.2020 10:41
• Story ID: 368867
• Location: MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, ND, US