Warren Slams Pentagon’s Failure to Properly Implement Housing Reforms for Service Members and Families
Warren finds shockingly low use of housing dispute process and complaint database, revealing that Pentagon may be failing to “properly inform service members of their housing rights”
“DoD must do more to fully and effectively implement these reporting and oversight mechanisms to hold private housing companies accountable for substandard living conditions”
Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) wrote to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth with concerns that the Department of Defense (DoD) is failing to properly implement a housing complaint database and the formal dispute resolution process for service members and families living in privatized housing on military bases around the country.
“My review has found that few service members are using these tools, which may indicate that DoD is failing to effectuate the tools mandated by Congress to ensure military families are provided with safe and sanitary housing,” said Senator Warren.
Following reporting that military families were subjected to unsafe and unsanitary living conditions, Senator Warren conducted her own investigation, finding that housing contractors systematically failed to provide acceptable housing for servicemembers while earning huge profits and facing little DoD oversight or accountability.
In response to the findings of this investigation, Senator Warren secured bipartisan reforms in the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to address concerns that service members and families were subjected to unsafe and unsanitary conditions with no recourse. These included the creation of a formal dispute resolution process for residents facing inadequate housing conditions and the creation of a public complaint database for residents to hold private military housing companies accountable for their failures.
However, DoD did not implement the public complaint database until August 2024, nearly 4 years after the reforms passed Congress. New data released by Sen. Warren shows that in the last year, the database received only 40 complaints. Even that limited number of complaints showed residents continue to face unaddressed concerns from pests like mice. An Army tenant satisfaction survey of the dispute resolution process found that 70% of respondents were not aware of, or did not know how to access the dispute resolution process. Both numbers are shockingly low, considering there are about 700,000 service members and their family members living in privatized military housing.
“There may be a failure by DoD to properly inform service members of their housing rights and the availability of this feedback system. It is impossible to believe that the sparse list of dispute resolution requests and feedback reports encompass an accurate picture of military families’ housing needs and conditions,” said Senator Warren.
An FY 2025 Army survey found that many tenants had a negative experience living in private military housing. For example, at Fort Carson, 32.4% of residents were dissatisfied with their current home/unit, and 34.1% of residents were dissatisfied with the overall level of and quality of services; at Fort Gordon, 36% of residents were dissatisfied with their home/unit, and 20% of residents were dissatisfied with quality of services received. Data also shows that families in private military housing still face problems with mold and other housing problems that cause nosebleeds, hives, swelling, and rashes, and other health problems.
“Families deserve a safe, clean home environment – free of health risks such as mold and pests…DoD must do more to improve and fully effectuate housing reforms mandated by Congress and promote the DHFS to provide accountability and better quality of life to service members and their families,” concluded Senator Warren.
Senator Warren pressed Secretary Hegseth to explain, by January 5, 2026, why the department took four years to implement the housing database, whether it requires private military housing companies to inform residents of their tenant rights, how the department is holding private military housing companies accountable for housing concerns, and asked for the department’s plan to inform residents of the database and formal dispute resolution process.
Senator Warren has long fought to address unacceptable conditions in military housing:
- On December 17, 2025, Senator Warren announced FY 26 NDAA wins that include improved housing conditions for American troops.
- On September 29, 2025, Senator Warren pressed Secretary Pete Hegseth for answers about the potential privatization of military barracks.
- On April 8, 2025, Senator Warren pressured Trump’s nominee for Assistant Secretary of Defense for Energy, Installations, and Environment, Dale Marks, to commit to holding private military landlords accountable for housing violations.
- On February 4, 2025, Senators Warren and Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) urged the Department of Defense to investigate whether landlords were utilizing RealPage’s software to artificially raise rents for military families.
- On December 12, 2024, Senator Warren and Representative Sara Jacobs (D-Calif.) reintroduced the Military Housing Oversight and Service Member Protection Act that would overhaul our privatized military housing system.
- On September 27, 2024, Senators Warren, Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), and Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) introduced the Restore Military Families’ Voice Act, which would prevent private military housing companies from forcing non-disclosure agreements on military families.
- On April 19, 2024, Senator Warren questioned Army Secretary Christine Wormuth over military housing availability and the impact of non-disclosure agreements between private military housing companies and military families.
- On May 1, 2019, Senator Warren released the findings of a 3-month investigation into the housing conditions of privatized military residences.
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