Homesteading

I don't think you will find very many on here who would consider you a "Homesteader" BigRed. You should be in a different category with an exception until your housing is ready. (As long as there's not a 2 year wait for housing! :woohoo:

As Grammy said, years in the campground for friends of the staff and hosts is a bit much. I'd add "Contractors" who are working on post to these. Most of these contractors are working for private companies and are paid a housing and living allowance. If they want to live in their camper, go to a private CG that will be very happy to have you....don't take up the limited space in a military CG that you haven't earned the right to use!

BigRedTruck -- if you stayed in the MCG, would you be willing to give up the difference between your BHA and what the campgrounds cost?

Because, some of the campers staying in the MCG are drawing a housing allowance and then putting the difference in pockets ... that's money we pay (as taxpayers) into the DOD ... and is an allowance for family housing when not on base housing. It is not a 'pay raise' ...

SO, it's a big deal when that happens - if temporarily someone needs a break, especially AD with family, I'd be the first to move off a site. But to draw BHA - AND - stay at MCG would be abusing the housing money each month.

I have to disagree with that. Many people are budgeting and living on less than the amount they receive and they aren't staying in their RV's. BAH is for a standard of living that someone in the government decided would be the minimum amount to do that. How they make their money streatch is up to them. It's not like they are filing a false claim.

Payday is payday - BHA is based on median rental housing costs in the area where that specific base is located. If a AD is not in housing - that's why it's called Basic Housing Allowance - and if a guy does not spend it on housing, then it doesn't belong in his pocket. If an AD standard of living is a campsite for him and his family, then pay the camp fees and draw the same amount for housing.

BHA is not a pay raise. And if an AD is not in housing, then he's taking a campsite from another AD recreation or Retired recreation.

Acception: IF he waiting for housing due to transfer, then it should be allowed. But if an AD takes a campsite for six month and puts the extra $500 or $600 or $1000 in the bank, that is not ethical or fair to those that want a campsite for recreation (MWR = recreation not housing)

Same thing with DoD, only worse as they get paid much more than AD or retired, and should never be allowed to stay in campsite instead of housing unless MCG is earned as a military retired benefit.

IF you're retired now, you look back at the pay you received when enlisted (Mine $87 a month, plus $50 submarine pay) Today, the base rate is about fifteen or twenty times that, and AD can afford to live on it ... compare basic pay and alloowances now vs. pay 20/30 years ago ... then look at cost of housing then and now. IT's NOT twenty times as much - more like 3-4 times the rent then.

If this continues to be a problem I can see Fam Camp fees increasing to the same rate as the housing allowance. So that will be another benefit that most of us can't afford. It will just disappear especially with all the emphasis being placed on the cost of the military benefits that congress is looking at.

So he get's BAH AND get's told how and where to spend it? That money is a compensation for not living in base housing and to take care of his dependents based on the market rate of the surrounding area. Yes, I was in the military too, I know how it's computed. They can also put newly PCS'd personnel awaiting housing on permissive TDY 90 days at a time in a hotel and put them on per diem also. Though it's a rarely exercised option, it's still a possibility.I seen that happen with an E-9. How expensive do you think that would be? It's a whole lot cheaper to give him BAH.
Asking him if he'd give up the difference when we know he'd much rather be set up in a house is a pretty unreasonable question. He didn't make the rules and he's not breaking any. Is it fair that there isn't enough base housing and he's put in this situation? And since when does the difference in pay become an issue between AD and retired? The risk involved with being retired is a whole lot less. Sure, it would be nice to be better compensated, but everyone knows that the pension is half of the base pay. Nobody said we'd get rich off our pensions.