Housing survey results announced via town hall meetings

  • Published
  • By Jim Fisher
  • Kirtland PA
KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. --  

Kirtland officials held four town hall meetings last week, releasing the results of an Air Force-mandated health and safety review of privatized housing.

The housing survey was conducted from February 18 to March 1 across the Air Force. Here at Kirtland, command teams surveyed Airmen and their families in 1,019 privatized military homes. Each contact focused on health and safety, with additional on-site visits to 102 houses, according to 377th Mission Support Group Commander Col. Juan Alvarez.

“We did visits where we had the consent of Airmen and their families,” he said. “We did a visual health and wellness walkthrough.”

The inspection focused on three primary areas, which had been determined to be concerns across the Air Force. Command teams looked at excessive moisture exposure and/or visible mold; insect and rodent issues; and lead-based paint in pre-1978 homes. At Kirtland, lead-based paint and leaded materials were only used in Maxwell Housing, built in the 1960s, and mitigation measures to encapsulate the materials were found to still be in place and effective, she said. Like lead-based paint, the other primary areas tended to be more of a concern in other locations across the DoD.

According to Air Force-wide survey results (including 44,097 residents surveyed, 9,961 homes visited), 25 percent revealed mold and moisture issues. At Kirtland, only six percent of homes inspected indicated problems with mold and moisture. For pest and rodents, 13 percent of homes inspected across the Air Force indicated evidence of vermin. At Kirtland, five percent of homes had issues with pests.

“We had fewer problems reported locally, but issues like moisture and mold are going to be more prevalent at installations in more humid climates,” Alvarez said. For Kirtland, where there is a low relative humidity, mold or mildew must have a moisture source. Water introduced from leaky fixtures, humidifiers and combined with a lack of ventilation usually work in combination to produce mold.

To tackle this problem for concerned residents, a portion of the town hall meetings was dedicated to ventilation, cleaning and maintaining areas where moisture was likely to collect. The contractor, Hunt Properties, Ltd., also addressed streamlined processes for maintenance, upping the priority status of mold and mildew-related concerns, and ways for residents to get quick and repeated pest control services.

“We also outlined the relationship between Hunt, our residents, our [Civil Engineering] Housing Management Office, and commanders and first sergeants,” Alvarez said. “Working together, each of these entities ensures that our military families are provided with quality housing that is consistent with their military service—their commitment and sacrifice in defense of our nation.”

Overall, the process is working, if further survey results are an indication. During the local housing survey, 88 percent of people contacted said they were satisfied with the health and safety of their homes. Across the Air Force, the number of satisfied people came in at 85.9 percent.

A final focus area of the town halls was providing a forum for residents to voice not only their concerns about health, safety and maintenance issues, but to discuss a problem reported at other locations: concerns about retribution. While zero residents reported incidents of retribution while pursuing health, safety and/or maintenance issues with Hunt, Kirtland’s Military Housing Office or the chain of command, 377th Air Base Wing Commander Col. Richard Gibbs left no stone unturned.

The commander asked Hunt and military housing officials to leave, and offered to leave himself, so residents could freely discuss any issues. After no one asked him to depart, they proceeded. The discussion took place with representatives from Congresswoman Deb. Haaland’s (D-N.M.) office present, which Col. Gibbs welcomed.

“I am glad the [staffers] were able to be present. We gave our residents not only information, but a forum to address concerns with people who could take them for action on a number of different levels,” he said. “I grew up in military housing as a military brat and I have lived in military housing for most of my Air Force career. While I have experienced it continuing to improve over the course of my life, I know the challenges and I want to make sure we are doing everything we can to provide our people the housing they deserve.”

The commander also reiterated the lines for action on health and safety issues are open.

“For insect or rodent issues, residents can schedule that by calling housing maintenance at 505-232- 2049,” he said. “Residents can also call the same number for mildew or mold concerns in their home.”