STUTTGART, Germany – U.S. Army Garrison Stuttgart residents will undergo mandatory, third-party housing inspections of all Army Family Housing from Jan. 6 to16, as part of a Congressional mandate to ensure safe and healthy living conditions on military installations.
The inspections stem from elements of the FY20 and FY21 National Defense Authorization Act and aim to bring in a third-party to offer an unbiased evaluation of the condition of military housing.
“A third-party is selected to inspect that Army Housing is safe and habitable,” USAG Stuttgart Housing Director Madeleine Bates said. “It’s a visual inspection. They will look for any safety hazards, any troubling issues, and families living in unsafe conditions. Their objective is to help us advocate for funding to make improvements to our Army Housing in the future.”
Residents should anticipate inspectors checking every room.
“The inspectors shouldn’t have to move anything unless they have to look at an outlet or something covered up by furniture,” Bates said.
Pets must be secured, Bates added, as the team must enter all spaces in the house. Inspectors will test fire alarms, which may disturb sleeping infants or noise-sensitive animals.
Although inspectors will take photos, Bates emphasized that the evaluation is not about cleanliness or lifestyle. “The inspectors are not there to judge how anyone lives,” she said. “They will ensure that there is no personal information included in the photos they take.”
Residents are encouraged to schedule appointment times in advance. Choosing a time slot earlier makes it more likely the appointment time works for your schedule.
“Please schedule your appointments if you haven’t already,” Bates said, “it’s not meant to be intrusive, it’s meant to help all of us in the long run.”
Bates stressed that participating in the inspections is mandatory.
The Army has the legal right to enter any residence on the installation for any legal purpose. This right extends to Army contractors and Army personnel acting as escorts who are tasked to enter and inspect housing. Inspection of all Army Family Housing ensures accurate, unbiased assessments of housing conditions and helps the Army address issues quickly and plan long-term improvements.
If a resident cannot be home during the inspection window, they may notify the garrison Housing Office by email atUSAG-Stuttgart-Housing-BLDG-PM@army.miland arrange for someone from their chain of command to stand in for them during the inspection.
If a resident does not schedule an inspection appointment before Dec. 30, is unable to be present during the inspection, or refuses entry to the inspector, the Housing Office will notify the resident’s chain of command and schedule an escorted inspection. Army personnel provided by the resident’s chain of command will act as escorts and the inspection will proceed as usual.
“Inspections will give the Department of Defense consistent data on housing on bases worldwide,” USAG Stuttgart Family Housing Branch Chief Joshua Faulkner said. “This is a great opportunity DoD-wide to have certain issues addressed.”
Some residents say that the inspections are a positive step and are happy they are taking place. “It’s a great thing that’s being done”, Unaccompanied Housing Branch Lead and Family Housing Resident Sarai Watkins said.
“A third party is coming in, so someone is objectively looking at the conditions we are living in,” Watkins said. “I know people can be a little hesitant, so I encourage my neighbors to make an appointment.”
How to book your time slot: Visit: https://assetcalc.net/Login.aspx?msg=true by Dec. 30. Input your street address starting with at least the first three characters and select your address. Choose your preferred date and time. Appointments take less than 90 seconds to schedule! For questions, please contact the Housing Office at usarmy.stuttgart.usag.list.dpw-housing@army.mil.
| Date Taken: | 12.02.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 12.05.2025 05:06 |
| Story ID: | 553087 |
| Location: | STUTTGART, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, DE |
| Hometown: | STUTTGART, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, DE |
| Web Views: | 18 |
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