TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- Housing officials have expanded eligibility rules for people interested in living on Tinker Air Force Base, offering new convenient residential opportunities for civilian, military and retired individuals and families.
Due to higher availability of residential housing, the Housing Management Office recently announced new categories of eligible leasing applicants to include: unaccompanied active duty military members; Guard and Reserve members and family; federal civil service employees and family; retired military and family; and retired civil service members and family.
“This is a chance to live in a great home, a great community and a place where you will be proud to call home, not to mention the ease of living on base and getting to work quickly,” said Michele Speziale, Housing Management Branch chief. “Base residents also have easy access to dozens of regularly scheduled family and individual activities, plus tennis courts, basketball courts, play areas and great trails.”
Balfour Beatty currently has two- to four-bedroom homes in duplexes and fourplexes for lease. Stand-alone homes may be available in the future.
Rob and Carolyn Altland were among the first to learn about the expanded housing qualifications on base. The family with two teenagers and a 9-year-old recently moved into a four-bedroom duplex roomy enough for an eight-seat dining table that Carolyn built. Rob is a 20-year Air Force retiree who works as a security specialist on base.
The former Minot Air Force Base residents said they are thrilled to live on a base again.
“When you live off base, honestly, most people don’t know their neighbors,” Carolyn said. “We’ve had really good experiences where we’ve known our neighbors. We’ve had Fourth of July barbecues, all the parents are watching each other’s kids as they’re riding their bikes around the street and stuff. And we love hearing taps. We love hearing all the stuff going on.
“You get that military community feel. My grandpa was military, my dad was military and my (adult) daughter married military. This is all we know – growing up on bases – and I want my kids to have that childhood. You just feel good being on base. It’s like a family.”
Speziale said the new housing option may be attractive for Senior Airmen who’ve reached three years of service and are no longer eligible to live in the dorms, but who would still like to live on base with or without roommates.
Lease terms are for one year. Leases can be renewed, but may not be if higher-priority military housing is needed to accommodate Tinker’s missions, Speziale said.
Interested applicants with access to the base can check on availability and apply for housing at the Balfour Beatty Community Center, 5160 Twining, or call 610-3637. Applicants without current base access can call the same number. A secondary source of housing assistance is the Housing Referral Office, 734-7350.
Anyone over 18 years of age who will be living on base will need to undergo a background check for an access card.