PRIVATIZATION OF HOUSING COMING TO TINKER AFB: Town Hall Meeting scheduled Published Jan. 7, 2008 By Dianne Borges GMH Military Housing TINKER AIR FORCE BASE -- Under the Privatization of Family Housing Program passed in 1996, Tinker Air Force Base is partnering with GMH Military Housing for the purpose of improving the military family housing community and privatizing family housing. GMH is hosting a Town Hall Meeting for all military members and family housing residents of Tinker AFB on Tuesday, January 8, 2008 at 6:00 pm at the Base Theater to explain its plans and responsibilities for development, construction, maintenance and management of family housing at Tinker AFB which is anticipated to commence spring of 2008. Prior to the 1996 legislation and with budgetary constraints for housing, the Military Services could not afford to sufficiently upkeep, renovate, replace existing housing or build enough new housing for Service Members. Privatizing the family housing will enable private sector developers to repair, renovate, replace and build new family housing as soon as they take over. Improvements will be seen immediately. Privatization of Military Family Housing is a formal, legal partnership between the Air Force and a private sector company. Both parties sign an agreement whereby the private sector company takes ownership of the Air Force family housing. The military residents receive BAH (Basic Allowance for Housing) and pay rent to the private sector company, who acts as the landlord. The private sector company then performs the required maintenance, renovation and construction. With the present funding situation, the privatization of military housing is the best way to ensure service members have the opportunity to reside in a high quality home. GMH Military Housing is a dynamic team of professionals who have the ability and experience to create quality housing communities and significantly improve lifestyles for U.S. military members and their families. As part of its core business, GMH has developed, constructed, owned and managed real estate since 1985. Today, GMH Military Housing has more than 27,000 privatized military housing units under lease at 39 Air Force, Navy and Army installations throughout the United States, including nearby Altus Air Force Base. GMH Military Housing is teamed with Meyer Architecture & Planning, Inc. and Balfour Beatty Construction (formerly known as Centex Construction) responsible for architecture, engineering and construction services. The GMH team is fully committed to the successful completion of the Tinker AFB privatization of family housing project. GMH will provide the management services for the duration of the project and will also act as the managing entity of the partnership. GMH will be the single source to fully manage and care for each family's home and community with its in-house professionals augmented at times by subcontractors, primarily small and local businesses. The GMH Community Management and Maintenance staff is committed to respond to every resident's need and manage each community and home as if it were its own. The Air Force's program is designed to eliminate inadequate family housing and provide the service members and their families with housing communities equal to, if not better than, non-military housing developments. This program is giving the Services the opportunity to provide better homes and communities faster than the traditional military construction methods. It attracts quality developers and ensures that the military families receive quality homes and services at the best cost. The GMH team is looking forward to working with the residents of Tinker AFB.