The Department of Defense (DoD) launched a new system on Monday aimed at improving communication between service members and their privatized landlords in military housing.
The DoD Housing Feedback System (DHFS) will enable service members and their authorized dependents to provide public feedback on their current housing conditions, creating an additional communication channel for residents. The system aims to enhance the overall living experience for service members by “[promoting] transparency and accountability within DoD privatized military housing,” the DoD said in a press release.
“The [DoD] has a moral obligation to ensure that the spaces where our service members and their families live are healthy, functional, and resilient,” Deborah G. Rosenblum, acting deputy under secretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment, said in a statement.
The DHFS provides a direct portal for submitting maintenance work order requests as the department works to enhance the housing quality for approximately 250,000 homes occupied by service members and their families.
The home screen of the DHFS features options to access official military department housing webpages. For example, users can submit maintenance work orders directly to their landlord’s property management office and initiate the dispute resolution process if they are unsatisfied with their work order experience.
Additionally, they can review the privatized housing Tenant Bill of Rights, find contact information for the Military Housing Office and their privatized landlord or property manager, and access the DoD Hotline website for concerns regarding potential retaliation related to their feedback.
“This new feedback system is a critical step to ensuring transparent and timely responses to occupants’ concerns and aligns with Secretary Austin’s priority to Take Care of Our People. We are focused on putting our people’s experiences at the very center of all the work we do,” she added.
The launch of this initiative is part of the department’s ongoing commitment to enhancing the quality of life for service members and their families. Earlier this year, the DoD introduced a Resilient and Healthy Defense Communities Strategy aimed at creating sustainable housing for military personnel and their families.
