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HOUSING ALLOWANCES |
Military members are entitled to various allowances to help ensure the transition to a new location is as smooth and stress free as possible. Please be sure to reach out to MHO for any questions or concerns about the allowances listed below.
Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH)
Military members assigned to JBER receive Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH). The purpose of the BAH program is to provide housing allowances to service members based on median housing costs in local civilian markets. The DoD determines the correct housing allowance to enable members to afford suitable housing within a reasonable distance of their duty location. The allowance is set based on geographic duty location, pay grade, and dependent status and is adjusted each year.
For more information about your BAH, visit the Defense Travel Management Office website.
Temporary Lodging Allowance (TLA)
When you arrive at JBER, most likely you will be staying in temporary accommodations until you move into permanent quarters. Prior to your arrival, please work with your sponsor to secure temporary accommodations. Your sponsor can advise whether you will reside in an on-base Temporary Lodging Facility (TLF), a local hotel or an off-base TLF-type facility. TLA is an allowance intended to partially pay members for higher than normal expenses incurred by a member/dependent(s) while occupying temporary lodging Outside the Continental United States (OCONUS) incident to a Permanent Change of Station (PCS) move.
OCONUS TLA is available when it is necessary for a Service member or dependent to occupy temporary lodging upon arrival at, or immediately before leaving, a PDS OCONUS. Personal inconvenience to a Service member or dependent is never a determining factor. Accompanied personnel on an inbound PCS may be authorized up to an initial 30 days of TLA. Payment for more than 30 days of TLA will be based on financial need. This will be determined by comparing lodging expenses to lodging allowances (TLA and BAH) received, and to be received, by the Service member during the overall TLA time period requested.
To qualify for TLA, the Service member must aggressively seek permanent private-sector housing immediately upon arrival at the PDS. The member must either be aggressively seeking private sector housing, or have enter into an agreement and be waiting to move into private sector housing. Aggressive house hunting is defined as conducting a minimum of one home viewing per day until the member enters into an agreement for housing. Documentation must be presented to the Military Housing Office (MHO). Failure to aggressively seek housing will result in termination of TLA.
Military members are required to report to the MHO every 15 days for a recertification of TLA. For TLA entitlements to be extended for the next 15 day period, you must be actively seeking adequate housing as the MHO requires a list of the housing units visited and the reason why they were not acceptable. Pet restrictions and preferred school districts do not qualify as reasons for non-acceptance of available housing.
For more information about Temporary Lodging Allowances here at JBER please visit JBER Instruction 32-6008 Temporary Lodging Allowance or contact the Military Housing Office by emailing 673CES.CEH@US.AF.MIL: