NORFOLK, Va. — The Navy is studying privatizing barracks in the Hampton Roads area.
Unaccompanied housing for junior enlisted personnel -- 8,078 beds in 16 buildings in all -- would be managed by the private sector under a contract that could be awarded possibly as early as the end of Fiscal Year 2026, but more likely in FY '27.
"I'm super excited about this because we can provide better service. I think we'll meet the needs of sailors and exceed their expectations when it comes to how our privatized partners can support them," said Navy Installations Command Director of Fleet and Family Readiness Programs Leslie Gould.
The change comes after a September 2023 report from the Government Accountability Office found "serious health and safety risks" in barracks, with problems ranging from broken windows and inoperable fire suppression systems to mold.
The military has used privatized management of more than 200,000 family housing units across the country since 1996. But a series of Congressional hearings in 2018 revealed hazardous conditions and general indifference by the 14 private providers. The following year, Congress ordered the Defense Department to do better oversight and to create an 18-point bill of rights for military family housing tenants.
Gould is confident that by using lessons learned from the past, providers will do better this time with the barracks.
"I think they're going to be fantastic," she said.
Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Virginia), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said he is "agnostic" " on whether barracks privatization is a good idea. He told 13News Now that he is going to "drill down" on military leadership to conduct oversight of the private providers.