Defense Department raises housing rates for Fort Bragg

Dec. 18--Some families on Fort Bragg will have more money to spend on housing, according to new rates released Tuesday by the Department of Defense.

The 2014 Basic Allowance for Housing, or BAH, rates will take effect Jan. 1.

While increases will apply to current and future Fort Bragg troops, decreases will only apply to incoming troops in the new year, according to officials.

Overall the rates increased an average of 5 percent over last year's rates, according to the Department of Defense release.

On average, BAH rates for members with dependents will increase about $79 per month and $76 for members without dependents.

On Fort Bragg, nearly all new service members with dependents will see higher rates than last year, with the highest increase being for new staff sergeants or warrant officers, who each will see a $183 increase per month.

Only three ranks did not see an increase for BAH with dependents, according to Department of Defense data. Those were O-5, or lieutenant colonel, which did not change year over year; O-6, or colonel, which saw a $3 decrease per month; and O-7, or brigadier general and above, which saw a $3 decrease per month.

For new service members without dependents, the new rates varied, with the largest monthly decrease being $27 for lower-enlisted troops and the largest monthly increase being $183 for prior-enlisted captains.

According to the Department of Defense, a typical mid-grade enlisted member with dependents will find his or her BAH about $79 per month higher than last year, while a typical junior officer without dependents will find his or her BAH about $76 higher than last year.

With the increase, an estimated $20 billion will be paid to about 1 million service members in 2014.

BAH is determined by three components, including median current market rent, average utilities and average renter's insurance, according to the Department of Defense.

Decreases are not applied to current troops because doing so would penalize those who have long-term leases, officials said.

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Staff writer Drew Brooks can be reached at [email protected] or 486-3567.

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