New position in housing office to advocate for residents

Photo By Tech. Sgt. Chandler Baker | Edward Keenan, 633rd Air Base Wing privatized housing resident advocate, stands in front of the housing office at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, Feb. 25, 2021. Keenan advocates for a positive living experience on behalf of residents of Bethel Manor, Lighter-Than-Air and Heavier-Than-Air housing areas. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Chandler Baker)  

JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, VA, UNITED STATES

03.01.2021

Story by Staff Sgt. Chandler Baker 

Joint Base Langley-Eustis

The 633rd Air Base Wing has created a new position, the privatized housing resident advocate.
Retired Chief Master Sgt. Edward Keenan, former 633rd Mission Support Group superintendent, will fill the role; providing residents an extra voice in the housing office to work through issues and work orders. Bethel manor, Heavier-Than-Air, and Lighter-Than-Air housing areas are all covered by Keenan.
“The path to solving most problems with housing starts with calling in a work order within the established procedures outlined at lease signing,” Keenan said. “Hunt Housing has established a 24-hour call-in line to report issues. You can also call the resident advocate for advice and support to assist at any time in the process to guide you.”
According to Hunt Housing, emergency work orders have a 1 hour response, 4 hour for urgent and 24 business hours for routine. After members place work orders, if a resolution isn’t reached within a reasonable amount of time, they’re encouraged to try to solve the issue within the housing office. If the issue remains unresolved residents can now elevate it to the privatized housing resident advocate who has a direct line to the privatized housing personnel and the installation commander.
“The Air Force created this dedicated advocate position to help Wing leadership manage and resolve housing challenges as quickly as possible,” said Col. Clint Ross, 633rd Air Base Wing and Joint Base Langley Eustis installation commander. “We want to bolster the voice of our residents and Ed is the right person for the job. Having been a first sergeant and a Mission Support Group chief, he is very experienced with navigating housing processes and has shown an immense desire to support service members and their families.”
Additionally, a housing council meets monthly with the resident advocate and quarterly with the installation commander to voice and address specific concerns. To join the council, residents must submit an application to the privatized housing resident advocate. Interested applicants may contact the privatized housing resident advocate for an application.
“Each neighborhood has a representative on the council to help voice your neighborhood's concerns directly to the installation commander,” Keenan said. “There are also neighborhood meetings with the privatized housing resident advocate and your representative so your voice is heard and represented. You can find out your representative by contacting me.”
The privatized housing resident advocate is available Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Langley Housing Office and can be reached at 757-764-0974 or by email at [e-mail]. You can also reach out to him on his Facebook page, @LAFBResidentAdvocate.
“Whether it’s the military housing office, Hunt Housing, or the wing leadership, we want every resident to have a positive experience living in base housing,” Keenan said. “We want our residents to have a safe, healthy and secure environment to raise your families.”

• Date Taken: 03.01.2021
• Date Posted: 03.01.2021 16:33
• Story ID: 390246
• Location: JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, VA, US
• Hometown: GRAFTON, MA, US