The Hunt for housing

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Jarad A. Denton
  • 28th Bomb Wing Public Affairs
ELLSWORTH AIR FORCE BASE, S.D. --  Residents of Centennial Estates were able ask questions and voice their concerns about the upcoming lease expiration during a town hall meeting at the base theater, Feb. 1.

Col. Jeffrey Taliaferro, 28th Bomb Wing commander, hosted the meeting, along with representatives from the Hunt Housing Corporation.

"We want to answer the questions our Airmen have about this upcoming transition," Colonel Taliaferro said. "Having all the available facts is important so that our Airmen are best equipped to make their decisions."

Hunt attended the town hall meeting to answer questions Airmen had, regarding the upcoming transition.

"We are here to serve you and make this transition as seamless as possible," said Gina Slater, Hunt director of operations. "Communication is key throughout this process, we want to make sure all your concerns are addressed."

One of the biggest concerns addressed during the meeting dealt with basic allowance for housing being received by Centennial residents after the due date of the first month's rent. Mrs. Slater said Hunt will not ask for any out of pocket expense, Aug. 1. All existing Centennial residents will pay rent at the end of the month to ensure there is no gap between rent due dates and when BAH is deposited. Colonel Taliaferro said commanders may also authorize Airmen to receive advance pay in unique circumstances.

Airmen who choose to stay in Centennial will have the option to sign a six, 12 or 24-month lease. And while the standard lease language prohibits firearms, among other minor restrictions, Hunt offered to provide exceptions to policy that in essence matches current base housing policies. Hunt also used the town hall meeting to assure Airmen that they won't make sudden changes that will impact the lifestyle of their residents.

"As long as you live in Centennial before the transition, you will be grandfathered in and will not be subject to any new lease clauses," said Mrs. Slater.

One such clause would be the utilities section of the lease. If an Airman opts for rental rates that include utilities, there will be no additional costs for the duration of the lease, despite utility usage. After the first year, when the majority of leases expire, Hunt plans on having the homes individually metered - which could cause a "baseline utility charge," based on consumption, if the usage is too extreme, said Mrs. Slater.

Some other policies Hunt plans to explore are:

· Hunt has not yet resolved whether busing will be provided, but they are still working on it. They said they understand the matter is important to residents.

· While Hunt will seek exceptions to certain lease policies, they are unable to exempt residents from City of Box Elder statutes, such as limits on animals that exhibit aggressive or vicious behavior. These animal control regulations can be found in Box Elder Ordinance 497.

Colonel Taliaferro added that people who have housing units with sheds in their backyards will be able to keep the sheds after Hunt assumes ownership.

After Hunt takes control of Centennial, the company will offer a three-tier system for repair work needed on the unit. Emergency situations have a response time of one hour. Urgent repair work is met with a four-hour response time, and routine maintenance has a 24-hour window.

"We want to work with you through this process," said Mrs. Slater. "The improvements we are planning to make and the services we offer are all intended to help Airmen feel more comfortable and secure in their homes."