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| Housing Project to Bring $150 Million Dollar Investment to Kirtland |
January 17, 2003 |
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Wilson Prodded Project Forward with DOD, Congress
Albuquerque, NM - Congresswoman Heather Wilson announced today that the way has been cleared for a $150 million investment in base housing at Kirtland AFB. The House Armed Services Committee member said the project will significantly improve living conditions on the base and should strengthen the base’s position during the next round of Base Realignment and Closure, currently scheduled for 2005.
Wilson spoke about the project at a meeting with the Kirtland Partnership Committee, a community organization formed to support the base and its missions.
“Our men and women in the military should have better housing than we have at Kirtland today,” Wilson told the KPC’s executive committee. “We need to tear the crummy units down, and build new ones a family would want to live in. This project will bring $150 million dollars worth of construction work to Albuquerque for the base.”
Congressional notification of the Kirtland project - required by law - was held up when a similar proposal at Wright Patterson Air Force Base was stalled by a key member of Congress who expressed concern with that deal. Wilson engaged the Committee Chairman involved and asked the Pentagon to move the Kirtland project forward, while promising her help to avoid any delays in the House. The project is currently pending a 45-day Congressional Notification, which started just before the holidays. Defense officials estimate that they’ll seal a deal with a contractor in mid-March.
Last year, Wilson secured $8.4 million for a housing complex for visiting airmen and officers at the base. Currently, visitors at the base have to find off-base lodging. The existing visitor’s quarters are currently at full capacity, and a large percentage of visiting airmen must be housed in off-base contract quarters. Over 100 airmen per day are sent to contract quarters, costing the government over $3.0 million per year. During peak seasons, these off-base quarters can be up to 60 minutes away.
Wilson has consistently worked to maintain Kirtland Air Force Base and keep its missions strong so that when there is another round of Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) in 2005, Kirtland will be in good shape. In recent years, Wilson has also added the following projects to the Department of Defense Budget for KAFB: $14 million to upgrade ramps and runways; $7.35 million to build a new fire and rescue station jointly used by the base and the Sunport; and $4.3 million to construct a new Small Arms Range and Support Facility.
The Kirtland AFB Housing Project
Why privatize housing at Kirtland Air Force Base?
The housing at KAFB is a combination of 55-, 45- and 5-year old units. The Air Force does not have enough money to fix the 45- and 55-year old units.
Under existing budgetary constraints, the Air Force is unable to address all of the critical housing replacement needs at KAFB. However, if the Air Force combines its resources with those available in the private sector, enough of the old housing can be replaced to satisfy KAFB’s requirements. By using authorities provided by Congress in the Military Housing Privatization Initiative legislation, Base officials have an opportunity to address their needs.
Privatization allows the Air Force to increase, or “leverage,” the rate of return on dollars the Air Force obligates to support housing, and in doing so, can provide quality housing at least three times faster than the military budget alone could support.
The land the current KAFB housing units are currently on will be leased to a private company.
The existing houses and associated improvements (e.g., playgrounds) located in the various housing areas on Base will be conveyed to the contractor, meaning that the houses and improvements will be owned by the private company. The land will continue to be owned by the Air Force.
As long as the land is owned by the Air Force, Security Forces will provide police protection to military personnel and property, and the housing can remain behind the base fence line.
In exchange for the leased land and conveyed housing units and improvements, the private company will take over the maintenance and repair of all housing units and improvements, including pavements and common areas.
In addition, the private company will construct 867 new housing units and demolish all the old units in East Capehart, Loop, West Capehart, Zia Park, and Maxwell, ensuring the availability of a minimum of 1,078 units for military families for 50 years.
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