There's a lot more at stake when it comes to making the most of military base housing than merely providing comfort. Providing suitable military homes has been shown to boost troop morale and is often a factor in getting married soldiers to re-enlist.

Until recently, military housing and military barrack renovations ranked low on the list of priorities as compared to other military spending needs. This article will provide information about U.S. Armed forces initiatives to privatize military housing and barrack construction and show how your business can get in on the action. Upon completion, you should be on your way toward:

1. Familiarizing yourself with background information about efforts to privatize military housing construction and renovation;

2. Learning how to identify opportunities for your business to bid on government contracts related to military housing improvements;

3. Taking advantage of opportunities for third party businesses to construct permanent and portable military barracks.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Read background information about efforts to privatize and improve housing for military personnel

Before steering your business down the path of working with the U.S. government, it is important to have some background knowledge. Efforts have been under way for several years to improve military family housing -- including Army housing and naval housing. There are several articles that can provide background information as well as detail the ultimate goals of the U.S. Armed Forces plans for privatization.

I recommend: Out of Control, the Reason Foundation's web log, has a one-page article detailing the latest efforts in the privatization of housing for military and the ultimate goals for this enormous initiative. The U.S. Army's Residential Communities Initiative website discusses goals and objectives for renovating army base housing and can provide you with additional reading suggestions.

Locate opportunities for your business to bid on military housing government contracts

While the process for bidding can be lengthy and complicated, it can also be financially lucrative. Some developers have jumped at the chance to get a government contract to improve Marines base housing, naval housing, and even military barracks. Back in 2003, Lincoln Properties won a Department of Defense award valued at more than $750 million to privatize military family housing at Quantico and Camp Pendleton.

I recommend: To keep apprised of bids worth considering for your business, check out the free e-mail trial at GovernmentBids. Their service can help your business target the government contracts you receive based on the bid types you specify. Set-Aside Alert offers a similar service, but targets its research efforts at those government contracts benefiting small businesses.

Take advantage of army barracks construction opportunities

High value is placed in the armed forces on the construction of permanent and portable military barracks. Permanent barracks manufactured via modular construction are ideal for rapid troop expansion, while portable barracks are multi-functional and suitable for rapidly changing locales. These units can be purchased directly from the factory and installed by a third party according to the military's specifications for a particular locale.

I recommend: Modtech Holdings is a manufacturer of modular and portable military barracks. Simply complete the information on the left side of the screen for more information and pricing. The Industrial Quick Search (IQS) directory lists contact information for various portable barrack manufacturers.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Consider purchasing construction bidding and estimating software to ensure your pricing is 100 percent accurate. When dealing with a U.S. Government Request For Proposal (RFP), it is essential your figures be accurate to maximize your chance to win a contract to build and make the most out of military housing.

Locating that ideal house for anyone, including housing for military people, can be a daunting task. On average, military families relocate about once every two to three years. Due to their intense schedules, oftentimes the needs of the military are placed above the needs of their families.

Some of the toughest decisions military families wrestle involve housing and moving. That's why finding the perfect house can help ease the frustration so often associated with home buying. To help those families in need of military housing, consider the following:

1. Determine what type of military family housing is best.

2. Use a third-party business to secure military housing.

3. Assist those to secure financing before purchasing military homes.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Narrow down military housing choices

By living on military base housing, those in the service receive all the benefits of owning a home, but there isn't any sort of commute. They would be living on site, whether it's at the army base housing, navy base housing or even marines base housing. Along with this, though, is the problem that most people prefer this option; many times waiting lists are lengthy.

I recommend: Lincoln Property Company currently offers housing assistance in nine states. However, one of the more popular locations is San Diego, where they're in charge of finding naval housing at the base. Sponsored by the Department of Defense, the Automated Housing Referral Network can help secure housing for those military families that need to relocate.

Use a third-party company to find military family housing

With input from military families, third-party businesses can offer unique programs and assistance to those interested in purchasing military housing. Oftentimes these businesses can provide extras to the neighborhoods they're selling, such as maintenance-free living, beautiful parks and community centers.

I recommend: If you're looking for military family housing to buy or rent all over the country, Off-BaseHousing.com from MilitaryLink LLC can help. It showcases houses not only owned by military families, but houses from those who want to sell or rent to those in the military. Equity Residential profiles apartments, off-post military housing and on-site base housing. Along with featuring these housing options, it offers discounts to military families.

Help those to secure financing to buy military housing

Before anyone can move into a dream military home, money needs to be discussed. Researching a mortgage lender might be the way to go, as military housing can be expensive. Directing those in need to the best-available lender can help them save money, and it can allow you to secure them as an employee.

I recommend: One of the most popular options is to use VA-Loan.com, which offers a VA loan made available to wartime veterans, Reserves, National Guard, members of peacetime services and certain other qualifying services. Sponsored by Lending Tree, Military Advantage offers home loans for military families by helping you take advantage of VA home loan benefits.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Everyone involved in the military receives free (or almost free) housing through the government. It depends upon the rank and marital status. Married service people receive a BAH, which is a Basic Allowance for Housing, to help purchase military housing.
• •  Once those in the military return from service, they want housing that's substantially better than the type of conditions they were living in while on active duty. Comparisons of army barracks to military housing should result in something substantially different.

Learning military housing key terms and acronyms will help you navigate your way in the market. Whether you are a military family, a contractor working in the industry or a lending institution helping out of our service men or women, knowing the terminology surrounding how our government helps house our military families will help you better understand and communicate with those in the field or those you are trying to serve.

Most military housing key terms are acronyms. Many are initiatives brought about by the government. Some deal with the financial side of military housing, while others describe the communities formed by the housing groups. Whatever the terms and definitions, familiarizing yourself with the words and their meaning will help you better communicate.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Privatization

Because a large number of military housing does not meet modern living standards, the Department of Defense has authorized privatization, a means for private developers to finance, plan, design and construct improvements on military tracks of housing. They may also own, operate and maintain the rental housing developments over a certain period of time.

I recommend: Find out more about privatization from Tinker Air Force Base.

MHPI

MHPI stands for the Military Housing Privatization Initiative, and it is used by the military to better improve the quality of life of service members through improved conditions of housing.

I recommend: Find out more information on the Military Housing Privatization Initiative (MHPI) from the Office of the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense Installations and Environment.

DOD owned housing

DOD owned housing is Department of Defense housing for military service members and their families.

I recommend: Learn more about DOD owned housing from ExpectMore.gov, a site developed by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget and Federal agencies.

BAH

BAH stands for Basic Allowance for Housing and is the money allotted for military service members to find housing off base in the private sector.

I recommend: Find out about Basic Allowance for Housing from Military Advantage.

AHRN

AHRN stands for Automated Housing Referral Network, and it is a program of the Department of Defense's that is designed to improve the process of securing available housing to help military members relocating themselves and their families.

I recommend: Register as a military member on the Automated Housing Referral Network site.

RCI

RCI stands for Residential Communities Initiative, a move towards privatization of housing for military members.

I recommend: Check out the Residential Communities Initiative at Fort Mead. Find out how they are looking to provide safe, affordable housing to their military families.