 |
REFERRAL AND RELOCATION ASSISTANCE |
Privatized Housing: The MHO processes a referral for those who wish to utilize Privatized Housing through Mayroad. In addition to the HEAT inquiry, we require a copy of the service members orders and additional information that we will reach out to the service member for once the HEAT inquiry is received.
Community Housing: The MHO provides guidance and information for service members to locate housing within the local communities. In addition, we provide counseling and landlord resolution to ensure all service members are fully supported in their housing options.
Developing a sense of community here starts before you arrive at Edwards AFB. We recognize the efforts behind this transition and want to make sure you are satisfied with the details of your move. To obtain referral and relocation assistance, we encourage you to reach out for personalized services provided by the Military Housing Office (MHO) staff.
There are several communities surrounding Edwards AFB; Lancaster and Palmdale to the south and California City, Mojave, North Edwards, and Boron to the north, Rosamond to the west, and Tehachapi to the northwest. Distances from main base vary from 20 to 45 miles.
Boron -- Miles from Air Force Flight Test Center Headquarters Building: 23 -- Web address: www.boronchamber.org
Located northeast of Edwards along California State Highway 58, the community of Boron is the site of a giant open-pit mine from which the extracted element, borax, lends the town its name. The pit, the largest in the Western Hemisphere, is owned and operated by the U.S. Borax and Chemical Corporation and employs a great deal of the community. Edwards employs the remainder. The town is also home of the Col. Vernon P. Saxon Jr. Aerospace Museum. The town's people tuck themselves into the preservation of the rich history of both Boron and Edwards. Kern County provides the community's branch library, fire station and sheriff department. The U.S. Post Office is centrally located on Boron Avenue.
California City -- Miles from Air Force Flight Test Center Headquarters Building: 17 -- Web address: www.californiacity-ca.us
Begun as a private commercial development, the community was incorporated in 1965 and ranks as the third-largest incorporated city in terms of land area in California. Located northwest of the base along Highway 58 and a northern jaunt on California City Boulevard, the small community offers all the enhancements of the original developer's grand vision: easy shopping, an 18-hole golf course and a central park, offering swimming, boating, fishing, illuminated tennis courts, basketball and volleyball courts, picnic facilities, barbecue pits, children's playgrounds and a marina facility.
Lancaster -- Miles from Air Force Flight Test Center Headquarters Building: 29 -- Web address: www.cityoflancasterca.org
A thriving, civic-spirited community, Lancaster has enjoyed unprecedented growth and prosperity in the last decade. During this time, Lancaster has grown to be the commercial and business center of the Antelope Valley and promises to continue such growth. With proximity to the Los Angeles metropolitan area and yet clean air and blue skies, the community is an affordable choice conveniently located to much of Southern California's attractions and aerospace industry employment. Lancaster has a council manager-administered form of government. All public safety services, including police and fire, are provided by the County of Los Angeles, while the sheriff's department performs contract-based services, and the fire department performs under a Fire Protection District approach.
Mojave -- Miles from Air Force Flight Test Center Headquarters Building: 35 -- Web address: www.mojave.ca.us
Mojave sits at the junction of California Highways 14 and 58, and to some is a gateway to such popular spots as Mammoth and the Eastern Sierras, Las Vegas, Eastern Mojave Desert and to the Los Angeles Basin. Mojave itself is the location of several natural wonders and historical sites that include mining ghost towns and more. Anyone driving through Mojave is certain to notice the Mojave Airport. Known to many as the civilian flight test center and the launching spot of Space-Ship One, the airport is unique in its locale and environmental conditions and is known both for its flight test activities and for the maintenance and storage services provided to the airline industry.
North Edwards -- Miles from Air Force Flight Test Center Headquarters Building: 9
North Edwards is an unincorporated bedroom community just north of Edwards along Highway 58.
School-age children go to school at Edwards. Housing is affordable, although shopping convenience is limited.
Palmdale -- Miles from Air Force Flight Test Center Headquarters Building: 39 -- Web address: www.cityofpalmdale.org
Palmdale's biggest industry, and employer, is aerospace. Thousands of residents are employed at Air Force Plant 42 Production Flight Test Installation and Edwards Air Force Base. Plant 42 is a huge complex including more than eight million square feet of covered space. Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Northrop Grumman and The Boeing Co. have billions of dollars in aerospace projects there. Producers, manufacturers, wholesalers, government and business services comprise 76 percent of the city's employment force. Natural resources also provide employment in the fields of sand, gravel, rock and cement production. The film industry finds Palmdale's high desert locations very attractive and spends millions of dollars here annually. A community of 136,734 residents, Palmdale has a civic foundation in the Larry Chimbole Cultural Center, Palmdale Playhouse and Poncitlan Square, a park fashioned after one in Poncitlan, Mexico, Palmdale's sister city.
Quartz Hill -- Miles from Air Force Flight Test Center Headquarters Building: 35 -- Web address: www.quartzhillchamber.org
Quartz Hill, a small, primarily residential, unincorporated community, is situated just four-and-a-half square miles west of Lancaster and Palmdale. Residents enjoy the rustic qualities of the town with horseback riding on many trails, fishing in the nearby California Aqueduct and a view
of nature. The community is known for its almond orchards and the annual almond festival parade.
Rosamond -- Miles from Air Force Flight Test Center Headquarters Building: 19 -- Web address: www.rosamondtowncouncil.org
Just a straight shot west of Edwards along Rosamond Boulevard, the small community of Rosamond is a mecca for rock-hounds with its cradling and abundant hillside landscape of beautiful rocks--especially at Gem Hill, located four miles north of the community. Kern County provides fire and police protection in addition to supporting a community recreation building and three parks with a lighted baseball diamond. Agriculture pertinent to the area includes alfalfa, sugar beets, potatoes and onions.
The community also has a community/senior center. The community is the home of Willow Springs Raceway and the Exotic Feline Breeding Compound.
Tehachapi -- Miles from Air Force Flight Test Center Headquarters Building: 45 -- Web address: www.tehachapicityhall.com
Located in the mountains about 45 miles from the base and about 4,000 feet above sea level, Tehachapi offers a cool alternative to the warm Mojave Desert summers. Tehachapi has a rural atmosphere with farming as a way of life for many residents. Award-winning livestock are common in the area as well as famous apples, pears and cherries. Area residents visit Tehachapi year-round for the Mountain Festival, the Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association rodeo in August, the apple and pumpkin harvest in the fall and the cool mountain breezes in the summer.