Ft. Gordon, Ga. — U.S. Senator Jon Ossoff secured a commitment from the U.S. Army to improve privatized housing and hold contractors accountable.
Sen. Ossoff, Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction, yesterday held a hearing about funding priorities for military construction projects and highlighted the ongoing need to improve privatized housing conditions for servicemembers and their families.
Sen. Ossoff serves as the top Democrat on the Military Construction Appropriations Subcommittee, positioning him to fight for and deliver Federal funding for key Georgia projects impacting national security, military readiness, quality-of-life for servicemembers and military families, and more.
During the hearing, Sen. Ossoff spoke with Lieutenant General Michelle Donahue and raised the importance of improving housing conditions for servicemembers and their families.
“General Donahue, it’s been six years since legislation was enacted to provide more protection for military families living in privatized housing. You may be aware in 2022, I led an eight-month bipartisan investigation into the mistreatment of military families and privatized housing on post at Fort Gordon, shocking testimony from servicemembers whose families had their health impacted in serious ways. We wound up having the Balfour Beatty executives come up and testify under oath. I was able, last Fiscal Year, working with the Chairman, to secure additional funding in our bill for expanded oversight, tenant support, and maintenance for privatized housing,” said Ranking Member Ossoff.
“But we continue to hear troubling stories and reports from servicemembers at installations across Georgia, across the south, across the country, about poor conditions and privatized housing, inadequate support from housing providers on installations in Georgia and nationwide, some of these abusive non-disclosure provisions that families are forced into. So, given that these issues persist, what is the Army doing to stay after this and make sure that we’re not allowing any of these families to face mistreatment at the house at the hands of these housing providers?” Ranking Member Ossoff asked.
Sen. Ossoff secured Lieutenant General Donahue’s commitment to continue working with him and the Subcommittee to ensure servicemembers’ concerns are addressed.
In 2022, Sen. Ossoff led an 8-month bipartisan investigation that uncovered mistreatment and neglect of families living in privatized military housing on post at Ft. Gordon. As a direct result of Sen. Ossoff’s investigation, the U.S. Army then conducted unit-by-unit inspections of housing on military installations, starting at Ft. Gordon.
In 2023, Sen. Ossoff then convened a military housing oversight session to continue his work to improve housing conditions for military families in Georgia and across the nation.
Click here to watch Sen. Ossoff’s line of questioning.
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