The rapidly increasing civilian population in the entire San Francisco area has resulted in saturation of available private housing facilities. Military personnel are unable to compete successfully with the higher paid, more permanent civilian population. In addition this project is scheduled to replace 300 existing substandard Navy units which cannot be economically converted to adequacy. Families of 3,397 eligible personnel will require housing in the area. Currently available and funded military assets total 496 units, or 15 percent of requirements. Adequate off-station units total 1,127, or 33 percent. This project for 300 units will increase military assets to 796, or 25 percent, and total assets to 1,923, or 57 percent of eligible requirements. The current deficit of adequate housing in the east bay area is 2,198 units. As a result, 220 eligible families are separated; 750 occupy substandard units on station; 79 eligible personnel must commute excessive distances; 508 eligible families pay excessive amounts for private housing, and 641 occupy substandard housing in the community. Naval shipyard, Mare Island, Vallejo, Calif., (50 officer, 250 enlisted) The shipyard constructs and overhauls nuclear-powered submarines. It also provides logistic support for home-ported auxiliary craft, and four training schools for nuclear submarine and other fleet personnel. This project is also to meet the requirements of the Naval Ammunition Depot, Concord. The ammunition depot is responsible for receipt, stowage, and transshipment of guided missile and conventional ordnance material, and provides logistics support for seven home-ported ammunition ships. Both installations are considered within the north San Francisco Bay area. Population of the area totals 874,000. The economy is predominantly industrial, including steel fabrication, concrete, sugar refining, chemicals, crude oil refining, and construction industries. A 50-percent increase in personnel strength has commenced, which will result in an additional 577 eligible families. These sponsors will be students at the nuclear power, guided missile, and tactical data systems schools. They will be among the highest caliber and best trained personnel in the Navy, and their retention is extremely important. Local chamber of commerce officials have confirmed that the supply of rental housing of any type in the community is extremely short, and demands of the civilian community are expected to continue to exceed the supply. In addition, it is planned to eliminate 300 on-station substandard units upon completion of this project. Families of 2,168 eligible personnel will require housing in the area. Currently available and authorized military assets total 202, or 10 percent of the requirement. Adequate community assets total 432, or 20 percent. This project for 300 units will increase military assets to 502, or 24 percent and total assets to 934, or 43 percent of eligible requirements. The current deficit of adequate housing in the north bay area is 1,057 units. As a result, 93 eligible families are separated; 698 occupy substandard housing on station; 70 eligible personnel must commute excessive distances; 168 families pay excessive amounts for private housing, and 28 occupy substandard units in the community. Marine Corps Base, Camp Pendleton, Oceanside, Calif. (28 officers, 72 enlisted) The Marine Corps base provides training facilities, logistics support, and certain administrative support for Fleet Marine Corps units. It is located approximately 30 miles north of San Diego and 90 miles south of Los Angeles adjacent to the Pacific Ocean. Population of the immediate area is approximately 52,000. The economy of the area relies on agriculture, resort activities, and support for the Marine base. Reasonably priced adequate housing in the community is insufficient to meet eligible requirements. Rentals available are mainly 1- and 2-bedroom units, and rents are high due to the resort character of the area. Families of 6,799 eligible personnel will require housing in the area. Currently available and funded military assets total 1,797, or 26 percent of requirements. Off-station assets total 2,882, or 42 percent. This project for 100 units will increase military assets to 1,897, or 28 percent, and total assets to 4,779, or 70 percent of the eligible requirements. The current deficit of adequate housing at Camp Pendleton is 1,388 units. As a result, 106 eligible families are separated; 139 eligible personnel must commute excessive distances; 768 eligible families pay excessive amounts, for private housing, and 375 live in substandard units in the community. 23-901-63-37 Naval Air Station, Brooklyn, N.Y. (three officers, five enlisted) The naval air station's primary mission is training and support of 26 Navy and Marine Corps Air Reserve squadrons. In addition, it is a link in the East Coast Antisubmarine Defense Force, providing logistic support for two fleet antisubmarine aircraft squadrons. It is located at the south end of Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn and is surrounded by water, except for certain narrow land fills. Population of the commuting area numbers in the millions, and the economy contains almost every type of business. This project is required due to the military necessity of having a minimum number of key personnel available on-station. No private housing is available near enough to the station to permit rapid availability of these personnel outside normal working hours. Leasing of 175 private units is planned to alleviate the critical shortage of housing for other personnel. Families of 565 eligible personnel will require housing in the area. Military assets on-station total two units, or less than 1 percent of the requirement. Off-station assets total 71, or 13 percent. This project for 8 units will increase military assets to 10, or 2 percent, and total assets to 81, or 14 percent of eligible requirements. The current deficit of adequate housing for the naval air station is 461. As a result, 47 eligible families are separated; 128 live in substandard units onstation; 17 eligible personnel must commute excessive distances; 253 pay excessive amounts for private housing and 16 live in substandard units in the community. Naval Radio Station, Sabana Seca, P.R. (6 officers, 94 enlisted) The naval radio station manages, operates, and maintains equipment and systems as a link in the naval communications network, and supports Security Group activities. It is located 6 miles northwest of Bayamon and 15 road miles southwest of San Juan. Population within the commuting area is approximately 1.5 million. Terrain is coastal plain, rolling with limestone hills. The economy of the area relies principally on light industries, with some sugarcane and dairy farming. The personnel buildup of the Security Group will add 115 eligible families to the housing requirement. Community support is not available to accommodate this increase. Families of 278 eligible personnel will require housing in the area. Military assets total 46 units, or 17 percent of eligible requirements. Off-station assets total 19 units, or 7 percent. This project for 100 units will increase military assets to 146, or 53 percent, and total assets to 165 or 60 percent of eligible requirements. The current deficit of adequate housing at Sabana Seca is 101 units. As a result, 5 eligible families are separated, and 96 occupy substandard units in the San Patricio Navy rental project. PROPOSED AMENDMENT Mr. Chairman, in concluding my statement I should like to request your consideration of an amendment to the fiscal year 1964 military construction authorization bill, S. 1101. The amendment, which has been approved by the Secretary of Defense and the Director of the Budget, would add a new subsection 506(b) to S. 1101 to authorize the Secretary of the Navy to provide transient housing facilities for certain Navy personnel through transfer of not to exceed 500 substandard housing units to nonappropriated fund activities. The need for this type of facility is peculiar to the Navy, and arises as a result of the necessity to schedule ships for overhauls at shipyards a considerable distance from the ships' home ports. Details of the extent of the need for such facilities became available to us too late for presentation to the House of Representatives Committee on Armed Services in its hearings on the companion bill, H.R. 4825. The amendment is as follows: On line 18, page 49 of S. 1101 (line 20, p. 46 of H.R. 6500), after Sec. 506, add "(a)"; and between lines 6 and 7, page 50 (between lines 11 and 12 on p. 47, H.R. 6500), insert the following subsection : "(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of any other law, the Secretary of the Navy may provide for transient housing facilities for Naval personnel as a non-appropriated fund activity, utilizing not to exceed 500 housing units which are inadequate as public quarters, without regard to whether such units have been determined inadequate under Section 407 of Public Law 85-241 (71 Stat. 531, 556) as amended, or meet the criteria for retention set forth in subsection (a) of this section. The cost of maintaining and operating such units shall not be charged to appropriated funds of the Department of the Navy.” The problem which the new section 506(b) is intended to deal with is indige nous to the Department of the Navy. Assignments of naval personnel to sea duty are generally for periods of 1 to 3 years, during which time it is customary for their families to occupy housing in the vicinity of the ship's home port. When a ship is overhauled, however, the work is frequently performed at a shipyard which is some considerable distance from the home port. Overhauls take an average of 3 months, and during this time it is rarely possible for a serviceman temporarily ashore to afford, or even find, rental housing in the community'; furthermore, it is clearly not feasible to program and construct public quarters for occupancy on such a sporadic and short-term basis. The separation of families is thus prolonged, with a resultant adverse impact on morale. The Navy has a number of housing units which are inadequate as public quarters but which would be extremely useful as transient facilities to house these fleet personnel while they are on shore. The Navy has informally discussed with the Armed Services Committees the desirability of this course of action, and the committees have indicated their approval of it. They took the position, however, that additional legislation should be sought for this purpose. The present proposal has thus been drafted to comply with the expressed views of the Armed Services Committees. Under section 506 of the Military Construction Authorization Act, as passed by the House, the existing authority to lease inadequate public quarters would be extended, but only where certain criteria are met, among them the condition that "the rentals charged to, or the allowances forfeited by, the occupants are not less than the costs of maintaining and operating the housing. ***" Where the housing is occupied only on a transient basis, however, it is clear that this condition cannot be met. Accordingly, the proposed legislation would provide that not to exceed 500 housing units which are inadequate as public quarters may be maintained and operated with nonappropriated funds. The rental derived from these units would become part of the nonappropriated welfare funds of the activity, and the units would be administered in the same manner as other welfare or recreational facilities. Having them available for transient fleet personnel would be extremely beneficial to morale. STATEMENT OF LT. COL. S. W. MANNING, U.S. AIR FORCE Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, the Air Force, for fiscal year 1964, is requesting line item authorization to construct 4,992 new housing units at a cost of $88.2 million. Three thousand seven hundred and fourteen of these units ($63,465,000) require new authorization and 1,278 units ($24,735,000) are prior authorizations, which require reauthorization by this legislation. Construction is proposed at 22 bases and 27 A.C. & W. stations within the United States and at 6 bases in oversea areas. The requirement for these projects is based primarily on separated families, insufficient and substandard community support, the lack of Government owned or controlled units, and in some instances to provide on-base quarters for key and essential personnel, or for projected mission buildup. Within this program the Air Force further requests authorization for the following: Construction of 984 trailer parking spaces_. Improvements to adequate quarters____ Upgrading 237 inadequate quarters to adequate standards_ Minor new construction, totaling Advance planning__ Rental guarantee payments___ $1,607, 000 4,743, 200 575, 500 1, 131, 000 500, 000 1, 100, 000 Total authorization requested for this portion of the program. 9, 656, 700 We have provided individual line items (DD forms 1391) in support of this portion of the program. Associated with this program is the DOD legislative change as it now appears in S. 1101 requesting authority to lease domestic units of family housing (7,500 units) at a cost not to exceed $170 a month, including the cost of utilities and maintenance and operation. OSD proposes to request a change to this amendment to permit an annual average of $170 per month for any one unit. The following individual justifications are provided in support of the new construction program. Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska Elmendorf Air Force Base is located 1 mile northwest of Anchorage, Alaska. This base supports troop carrier, fighter interceptor, air transport, and A.C. & W. missions. In addition, Headquarters Alaskan Command and Headquarters Alaskan Air Command are located here. This housing requirement results from the scarcity of available offbase adequate assets and the lack of sufficient Government owned or controlled units. Housing requirements and assets are as follows: Total requirement (eligible personnel) –. Government owned or controlled assets_ Total_ Deficit of adequate quarters_ 4,831 1,826 1, 325 3, 151 1,680 'Including offbase assets, we are now in a position to adequately house only 65.2 percent of our eligible personnel. Upon completion of this 290-unit project we will then be in a position to adequately house 71 percent of our eligible personnel, which does not include 608 families of lower grade airmen for whom we cannot construct quarters. George Air Force Base, Calif. George Air Force Base is located 7 miles northwest of Victorville, Calif. This base supports tactical fighter, fighter interceptor, and combat crew training missions. In addition, the Western Air Rescue Center and an air division headquarters are located here. This housing requirement results from the scarcity of available offbase adequate assets, the lack of sufficient Government owned or controlled units, as well as a projected increase in assigned personnel. Housing requirements and assets are as follows: Including offbase assets, we are now in a position to adequately house only 39.1 percent of our eligible personnel. Upon completion of this 150-unit project we will then be in a position to adequately house 44.5 percent of our eligible personnel, which does not include 813 families of lower grade airmen for whom we cannot construct quarters. Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. Vandenberg Air Force Base is located 8 miles northwest of Lompoc, Calif. This base supports missile training, strategic missile (ATLAS), civil engineering school, and aerospace research missions. In addition, the Strategic Aerospace Division Headquarters is located here. This housing requirement results from the scarcity of available offbase adequate assets and the lack of sufficient Government owned or controlled units. Housing requirements and assets are as follows: Total requirement (eligible personnel). Government owned or controlled assets_ Offbase assets (community support) Total__ 4, 157 1, 829 389 2,218 Deficit of adequate quarters____. 1,939 Including offbase assets, we are now in a position to adequately house only 53.4 percent of our eligible personnel. Upon completion of this 150-unit project we will then be in a position to adequately house 57 percent of our eligible personnel, which does not include 780 families of lower grade airmen for whom' we cannot construct quarters. Ent Air Force Base, Colo. Ent Air Force Base is located in Colorado Springs, Colo. This base supports Headquarters Air Defense Command, Headquarters North American Air Defense Command (NORAD), Headquarters Continental Air Defense Command, and Headquarters 9th Aerospace Defense Division. This housing requirement results from the scarcity of available offbase adequate assets, the lack of sufficient Government owned or controlled units, as well as a projected increase in assigned personnel. Housing requirements and assets are as follows: Total requirement eligible personnel) ---- Government owned or controlled assets_. Total-- Deficit of adequate quarters---- 3, 382 17 1, 002 1, 019 2, 363 Including offbase assets, we are now in a position to adequately house only 30.1 percent of our eligible personnel. Upon completion of this 200-unit_project we will then be in a position to adequately house 36 percent of our eligible personnel, which does not include 197 families of lower grade airmen for whom we cannot construct quarters. Lowry Air Force Base, Colo. Lowry Air Force Base is located 1 mile southeast of Denver, Colo. This base supports a technical training center and two strategic missile squadrons (TITAN). This housing requirement results from the scarcity of available offbase adequate assets, the lack of Government-owned or controlled units and a buildup in projected requirements. Housing requirements and assets are as follows: Total requirement (eligible personnel) Government-owned or controlled assets. Total--- Deficit of adequate quarters--- 3, 954 599 1, 465 2,064 1, 890 Including off-base assets, we are now in a position to adequately house only 52.2 percent of our eligible personnel. Upon completion of this 100-unit project we will then be in a position to adequately house 54.7 percent of our eligible personnel, which does not include 989 families of lower grade airmen for whom we cannot construct quarters. Patrick Air Force Base, Fla. Patrick Air Force Base is located 52 miles east-southeast of Orlando, Fla., and 2 miles south of Cocoa Beach, Fla. This base supports radar (SAGE); GEEIA, communications, and Atlantic Missile Range missions. In addition, an Air Force missile test center and aerospace test wing are located here. This housing requirement results from the current scarcity of available offbase adequate assets, as well as a projected increase in assigned personnel. Housing requirements and assets are as follows: Total requirement (eligible personnel)-- Government-owned or controlled assets. Total- Deficit of adequate quarters__ 3,263 1, 682 586 2,268 995 |