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Updated 2026
Military members can usually choose between living in base housing and living off base. Many have heard or even experienced that base housing offers a tighter-knit community, a quick commute to work, and a safer environment for raising children.
Sometimes the military member’s job requires them to reside in military housing, and the decision is out of their hands. But for most, it’s a decision. Today, on-base housing is privatized and managed by seven companies. But it hasn’t always been that way.
What Is Privatized Housing?
Privatized military housing is family housing owned, operated, and maintained by private companies through partnerships with the Department of War. The communities are located either on a military installation or near it, depending on the location. The neighborhoods are combinations of single-family homes, accessible homes, duplexes, townhomes, and apartments.
These companies streamlined the military housing process with simple online applications and apps for submitting maintenance requests. Eligible service members use their Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) to pay rent.
Learn more in Living in Military Housing: What You Need to Know.
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The History of Privatized Housing
Those who’ve served in the military for a long time or who grew up on military bases understand that base housing wasn't initially privatized.
In the mid-1990s, about 180,000 military homes were deemed inadequate. They either needed repairs or replaced. That amounted to about two-thirds of the military housing inventory. The DoW (DoD at the time) estimated that it would cost around $20 billion and more than 30 years to rectify.
In 1996, Congress created the Military Housing Privatization Initiative (MHPI) under the National Defense Authorization Act. The goal following the 1996 MHPI was to use private funding and efficiency to improve family housing conditions faster than what traditional government construction and management could provide.
The seven major base housing property management companies are:
These companies agreed to operate and maintain military housing in exchange for the full BAH of service members living there, while basing their business models on an expected occupancy rate.
Privatized Military Family Housing Companies
1. Balfour Beatty Communities
Balfour Beatty Communities has been contracted with the government since the MHPI initiative began in 1996 and has grown into one of the largest privatized military housing providers in the country.
Its communities include more than 43,000 military homes. But Balfour Beatty also has ample experience managing conventional residential communities with over 50,000 multi-family and student residential units and 160,000 residents across the US.
Balfour Beatty Military Housing Locations
- Alabama
- Arizona
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Florida
- Georgia
- Idaho
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Maine
- Maryland
- Michigan
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Oklahoma
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Virginia
- Washington
- Wyoming
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2. Liberty Military Housing
Liberty Military Housing exclusively serves military families. Founded in 2001, the company is now 100% employee-owned and manages more than 36,000 homes for more than 200 communities.
Its portfolio is concentrated around Navy and Marine Corps installations in California, Hawaii, and other coastal military communities, though they do have locations spread out across the US.
Liberty Military Housing Locations
- Arizona
- California
- Washington, DC
- Georgia
- Maryland
- Missouri
- North Carolina
- Nevada
- Pennsylvania
- Texas
- Virginia
3. Hunt Military Communities
Hunt is the largest military housing provider in the group. Hunt Military Communities currently owns and operates approximately 60,000 homes across 59 military installations, serving more than 175,000 residents across all military branches.
Hunt's military involvement dates back to 1969, when the company signed its first military housing contract at Holloman AF, NM. Soon after, they won four more projects, making them a major MHPI developer. Like Balfour Beatty, Hunt is also more than a military housing company. It belongs to Hunt Companies, which develops master-planned communities in El Paso, Austin, and Belton, TX, as well as Oahu, Hawaii.
Hunt Military Housing Locations
- Alabama
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Delaware
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Florida
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Louisiana
- Massachusetts
- Mississippi
- Nevada
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- Oklahoma
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Virginia
- Washington
4. Corvias Military Living
Corvias provides housing for both military and higher education students. They’ve been a DoW MHPI partner for about 20 years and currently operate and maintain about 66,000 military residents and students.
Corvias also recently completed 51% of its home renovations ahead of schedule, updating homes at Fort Bragg, Fort Meade, and Fort Rucker.
Corvias Military Housing Locations
- Alabama
- Kansas
- Louisiana
- Maryland
- North Carolina
- Oklahoma
5. Mayroad
Established in 2021, Mayroad is one of the newer names in privatized military housing. The company currently operates over 4,000 homes across five states. Mayroad is focused on Air Force military housing. Its communities include locations like Eglin AFB, Edwards AFB, and Seymour Johnson AFB.
Mayroad Military Housing Locations
- Alaska
- California
- Florida
- Kansas
- North Carolina
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6. Patrician Management
Patrician is a much smaller regional real estate company. Its roots are in Louisiana, dating to 1936. Patrician currently owns or manages over 3,500 rental units, but its military ties are with the Navy. Its Louisiana Navy Family Housing partnership includes roughly 941 units at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base New Orleans, including housing at Belle Chasse and The Village at Federal City.
Patrician Military Housing Locations
7. Michaels Communities
Michaels has worked with the Department of War since 2005 and currently has over 18,000 military homes on 11 installations. One of its newest projects is the first of its kind. After signing a contract through 2079, the company broke ground at Fort Irwin in September 2025 to construct privatized barracks for unaccompanied service members. It’s projected to finish the 276-apartment project in April 2028.
Michaels Communities Housing Locations
- Arizona
- California
- Florida
- Georgia
- Kansas
- Maryland
- Virginia
What Privatized Housing Looks Like Today
Today, almost all CONUS military family housing is privately operated under these partnerships, with the government keeping land ownership and oversight. While the program modernized much of the housing stock, serious issues remain.
For example, military members across all locations have reported black mold, water intrusion, and poor maintenance responses. Michaels Organization is currently in a lawsuit regarding the quality of housing at MacDill AFB. Those affected claim that the company failed to address water damage, structural defects, plumbing issues, and HVAC contamination.
By failing to make the necessary repairs, residents are reporting immune dysfunction, neurological damage, and respiratory injury. While this is not yet resolved, it’s one example of how privatized military housing companies have fallen short. This general trend has sparked congressional hearings and greater scrutiny. But is it taking a turn for the better?
The Future of Privatized Military Housing
Military families are asking, Where do we go from here? What happens if the Military Privatization Housing Initiative Tenant Bill of Rights, created to ensure a higher quality of living conditions for military families, falls short?
According to the Department of War, approximately $4 billion in DoW contributions has helped leverage more than $32 billion in private development. This investment has helped address a $20 billion family housing maintenance backlog, while nearly 99% of the military's U.S. family housing inventory is now privatized.
Ultimately, the government appears to hear the community's concerns regarding affordability and quality in military housing and increases the budget each year to help financially meet those needs.
Beyond the general condition of privatized family housing, the government is increasing its relationship with privatized military housing companies. Congress contracted the Michaels Organization to privatize junior enlisted barracks at Fort Irwin to improve quality and affordability. As it currently stands, 98% of unaccompanied housing is government-owned while only 2% is privately owned and operated. This recent lease is a step toward tipping the scales.
While the promise of continued action to address military families' housing concerns is comforting, the inability to keep up with maintenance in military housing appears to be an ongoing issue. Families worry that privatized military housing companies will continue to offer temporary fixes rather than conduct thorough repairs to save money. The key to creating accountability is to report issues.
Is On-Base Housing Right for You?
The decision to live on base varies from family to family. And the answer comes down to each person’s priorities and the duty station they’re assigned to.
The debate relies heavily on the area’s cost of living and the size of a service member’s family. At many duty stations, service members can likely find a nicer house for their money off base. For those who want to live under BAH or desire separation from work, living off base is probably the right fit.
That said, the opposite is almost always true in more expensive areas like Hawaii, San Diego, and some duty stations in NOVA. When stationed at Marine Corps Base Hawaii, a service member can afford a substantially larger home closer to work when living on base.
But in most cases, the decision isn’t that clear. Weighing priorities, including financial goals, schools, proximity to work, and home size, requires reconsideration after each military relocation.
Learn more about living in military housing:
Questions Military Families Ask About On-Base Housing
Is military housing free?
No, military housing is not free. Though service members don’t have to write a check from their account each month, these companies pull directly from a service member’s BAH (before it ever hits their account) to cover their housing expenses.
Does privatized military housing take all of your BAH?
In most cases, yes, privatized military housing does take all of a servicemember’s Basic Housing Allowance. However, there are a few cases where a company will offer a reduced rate. These instances are most often related to less-than-ideal housing conditions which the servicemember is informed of up front.
Can you choose where you live in on-base housing?
While a service member can decline a housing offer from the company, a family can’t pick and choose specific houses. San Diego, for instance, has many housing locations. Some are on base, some off base, and they’re open to every branch. That means that, based on family size, rank, and availability, Liberty Military Housing could offer a Navy family who’s stationed at Point Loma a house on MCAS Miramar even though it isn’t the closest military housing neighborhood to Point Loma.
In this case, a service member could decline the housing offer on Miramar in hopes of being offered one closer to their duty station. However, Liberty allows families one housing decline before removing their spot on the waitlist. Before doing so, a family should be ready to accept the second offer provided or be willing to look for off-base housing.
How long does it take to get into base housing?
Waitlist times vary depending on family size, location, and availability. While some base housing is available for an immediate move in, others have an 18-month to 24-month wait.
Can you break a military housing lease for a PCS move?
As with most rental agreements, you can break a privatized military housing lease for a military move by giving the company a copy of the official PCS orders and 30 days' notice.
Can retirees live in privatized military housing?
Yes, some privatized military housing locations set homes aside for retirees and even federal employees. A few of these locations include Fort Carson and installations in Hawaii, Fort Bliss, Scott AFB, and more.
Can you have pets in military housing?
Yes, pets are permitted in military housing, though there are restrictions. Dog breed restrictions include Rottweilers, Pit Bull, Doberman Pinschers, Chows, and wolf hybrids, along with animals classified as exotic. To learn more, see Which Pets Aren’t Allowed in Military Housing?
What should you do if you have a problem with privatized military housing?
If you encounter a problem while living in privatized military housing, service members can call the 24/7 maintenance line. There is a customer service line for each housing company and community for situations that require a manager. If the issue remains unresolved, the formal dispute process then escalates to involving a neutral third party.
Key Takeaways
Privatized military housing companies are required to provide safe, habitable homes, but residents are responsible for holding housing providers accountable. Knowing the Tenant Bill of Rights, documenting maintenance concerns, submitting work orders in a timely manner, and voicing issues through the housing office can help ensure these problems are addressed.
Informed residents willing to speak up and housing providers committed to responding are the key to safer, better-maintained, and higher-quality military housing for the families who call these communities home.
MilitaryByOwner has helped military families navigate housing and relocation decisions since 2000. Explore additional PCS resources, military housing guides, and relocation tools designed specifically for military life.
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