PPV continue actions to correct military housing issues

As part of a continued engagement to address housing concerns, Commander Navy Installations Command (CNIC) hosted a third Housing Public Private Venture (PPV) meeting this year with the companies that provide housing for service members and their families residing in housing overseen by the Navy and Marine Corps.

The meeting, which occurred June 19 at Joint Base Anacostia in Washington, D.C., focused on what the PPV housing partners have already done to improve the experience for residents and the companies’ future initiatives.

Besides executive level leaders from the eight PPV housing partner companies, Navy and Marine Corps leaders included Mr. James B. Balocki, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Installations & Facilities); Vice Adm. Mary M. Jackson, commander of CNIC; Maj. Gen. Vincent A. Coglianese, commander of Marine Corps Installations Command; Rear Adm. John W. Korka, commander of Naval Facilities Engineering Command.

In her opening remarks, Jackson thanked everyone for the continued, collective commitment to provide Sailors, Marines, and their families’ safe and healthy living quarters.

“Everything we do should help improve the ‘Resident Experience,’” said Jackson. “The oversight, the processes in place, and the metrics we monitor are all designed to prevent and resolve issues as quickly as possible. The interactions the residents have with the partner property manager, the military housing service centers, and their chain of command are key to creating a culture of accountability.”

The Navy has business agreements with Balfour Beatty, Clark, Hunt, Landmark, Lincoln, and Patrician. The Marine Corps has business agreements with Lendlease and Lincoln.

To improve transparency in the work order process, all housing partners now have either a smart phone app or other system that can not only verify that a work order is received, but also provide status updates, and indicate when a work order is closed. The Navy has full access to the privatized housing partners’ maintenance databases and can pull maintenance records when needed.

Additionally, both Balfour Beatty and Lincoln are implementing a process in which residents sign for work order completions on mobile devices maintenance technicians carry, much like resident’s do to acknowledge receipt of a package delivery. If the work occurred when the resident was out of the home, the resident has 24 hours to contact the property

manager if they

would like to

keep the work order open.

In order to quantify the quality of service work, residents are able to rate their work order experience and provide feedback either through an e-mail survey or the maintenance app. The military housing service center and the partner property managers both receive these scores and include them in reports to partner and military leadership.

Outside of the work order process, Balfour Beatty as well as Hunt, and Lincoln have established a 24/7, toll-free hotline where residents can contact corporate management directly to discuss any unresolved concerns.

Each PPV housing partner also provided a status update on their company plan to hire more people, especially quality control specialists and maintenance technicians, and/or providing more training to their new and existing employees.

The PPV managing members, asset managers and property managers remain critical partners in providing timely, quality service to Sailors, Marines and their families who choose to live on installations.

The primary focus of the Navy and Marine Corps housing teams, in their oversight and advocacy role, is the safety, security and well-being of Sailors, Marines and their families. The Navy and Marine Corps remains personally invested and committed to ensuring PPV housing residents receive the high-quality housing they deserve.

If any resident has questions or issues with privatized housing, you can contact Navy housing headquarters at NavyHousingHQ@navy.mil .

Those interested in learning more about the PPV housing options can contact their local HSC. HSC contact information is available at www.cnic.navy.mil/ContactHousing.