FORT IRWIN, Calif. — More than 400 people tuned in live for the Fort Irwin Garrison Quarterly Virtual Housing Town Hall on Sept. 1 at the Sandy Basin Community Center.
Ms. Adrena Sheriff, Community Director for the Villages at Fort Irwin, provided a BAH (base allowance for housing) breakdown to visually display how a soldier’s BAH is distributed and used– the bulk of it going to community improvements and mortgage payments.
Incoming Housing Options
Housing leaders provided several pieces of information regarding those who recently moved to Fort Irwin.
“If you are incoming and have signed out on PCS (permanent change of station) or travel leave and we don’t have a home for you to move into when you arrive or within 10 days of your arrival, we will offer you to stay in one of our temporary unfurnished, three-bedroom homes until your home is available,” Sheriff said.
She reiterated the slides that also said, “If you are a SNCO/CGO/FGO incoming family and we don’t have a home for you to move into when you arrive or within 10 days of your arrival, we will offer you a home in an E1/E6 community at the current E-6 rate.”
Work Orders and Improvements
At the time of the meeting, the Villages said they’d completed a total of 802 COVID-hold work orders and only had 40 left, which was an accomplishment for both maintenance workers and residents.
Sheriff said that 2020 Housing improvements include:
• Completed installation of 430 Nest Thermostats
• 56 sets of cordless blinds
• 206 new HVAC systems
• 41 Kitchen upgrades
• Installed LED exterior light replacements in Desert Winds and Calico Estates
Additionally, fences are being installed in Calico Estates with painting of the homes to follow and they’ve completed the walking path from Barstow Road to Goldstone Road.
Continuing upgrades include 122 more exterior renovations, Cracker Jack Flats and Rhineland Playgrounds rubber repairs, repaving asphalt for walking paths around housing area, continued flooring upgrades, upgrading all window treatments to cordless blinds, unit modernization efforts and replacing all legacy doors and light fixtures.
Housing says exterior renovations will continue through 2024, to include all Legacy neighborhoods, asphalt replacement neighborhood by neighborhood, a new super playground by Miracle Recreation in 2023, Roof replacements, LED replacements for all Housing, unit modernization efforts and replace all legacy doors and light fixtures.
Barracks
Garrison Command Sgt. Maj. Paul Fedorisin provided updates on the barracks, saying the internet service engineers for Boingo conducted a connectivity assessment to identify peak demand and system shortcomings and began upgrading and installing additional access points in building 290 back in August, along with replacing links between buildings 251 and 252 and realigning five others. This month, they’re switching ISPs and realigning the radio links between buildings 252 and 264.
Privatized Housing Legal Tenant Bill of Rights
Legal Services let viewers and attendees know what their options are with their housing. Jessaka Menzie, Chief of Client Services, said tenants can come to the legal services office to ask questions about their lease.
Menzie said the Tenant Bill of Rights apply on the installation but California law applies off the installation. Service members can get assistance whether they live on or off post.
“We’ll explain to you California law and how it relates to Fort Irwin residents,” Menzie said.
Here are the main services she says her office can provide to service members and their families:
1. Review and discuss lease with tenants if there are certain provisions not understood or agree upon.
2. Advise tenants on California Landlord tenant law and explain how it’s relevant to their individual issue.
3. Legal Services can speak to Housing on a tenant’s behalf and report violations of law to the Los Angeles Department of Consumer and Business Affairs. They can pass that on to an agency that can take action.
4. Legal Services can report it to the state Attorney General’s Office section for Consumer Affairs
5. Legal Services can walk clients through a small claims court process filing with local court
6. Legal Services can advocate on your behalf to the Garrison Commander and accompany tenants to appointments with the Garrison Commander.
7. Legal Services offers a Landlord and Tenant workshop so tenants can learn about their rights and obligations under California landlord tenant law. They will publicize when the next one is scheduled.
All of the Housing Town Hall slides can be found on the NTC website at home.army.mil/irwin.
The Housing office can be reached at 760-386-4663 or through their main website, villagesatfortirwin.com or the Active Building Resident portal app at fortirwin.activebuilding.com.
