De Repente
The House passed the 2019 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) Conference Report this week, which reconciled the differences between the House and Senate defense authorization bills passed earlier this year. As previously reported, the compromise package includes an NMHC/NAA-supported reversal of reductions to military housing benefits.
Previous defense authorization bills set in motion a five percent overall reduction to the Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH), and NMHC/NAA have long-raised concerns about the negative impacts of such cuts on the sustainment of privatized military housing projects. The provision effectively halts BAH cuts and institutes measures to advance the long-term, financial health of privatized housing.
The Conference Report still requires Senate approval, which is expected later this summer or the fall. Efforts to fully restore housing benefits are also contingent on passage of defense funding legislation later this year.
