WASHINGTON — U.S. military members face "critical supply and affordability challenges" when it comes to off-base housing, according to a new audit from the Government Accountability Office (GAO).
It says that about two-thirds of military members in the U.S. live off-base, and, due to rising costs, they and their families are increasingly feeling the pinch of a competitive housing market.
67% of respondents in the GAO report said private housing is "very" or "somewhat unaffordable."
And 51% said the supply of available housing is "not sufficient."
The GAO said some service members reported that they had to use savings, take on significant credit card debt or obtain second jobs to afford housing, or they had to commute long distances to afford quality housing.
And some military personnel told the GAO they decided to leave their families behind in other states because they could not find affordable housing of the size needed to comfortably house their families.
"We do worry about added stress on service members. They have a lot on their plate. Finding affordable housing shouldn't be one of those stressors," said GAO Defense Capabilities and Management Team Director Alissa Czyz.
In an interview Thursday with 13News Now, Czyz said that while it's a morale problem for the all-volunteer force, it also could also be a national security problem.
"We have found in this report and prior work that housing issues can be directly related to military readiness," she said.
The report says the Department of Defense (DOD) needs to obtain feedback about the effects of service personnel living off-base, in order to help them navigate the challenging rental and buying process.