Findings

Congress makes the following findings:(1)In April 2022, the median price for existing home sales increased 14.8 percent from the previous year and 2021 saw year-over-year median price increases as high as 23.6 percent, according to data from the National Association of Realtors.(2)The Military Times, in July 2021, reported, A number of service members [are] being forced to pay hundreds of dollars more in rent per month than their housing allowance covers..(3)In September 2021, the Department of Defense exercised its authority to temporarily adjust basic allowance for housing rates in 56 housing markets for members of the uniformed services who incurred increased housing costs above their current basic allowance for housing rate, in order to help ease the financial burden of rising housing costs facing Service members moving to new duty stations or signing new leases.(4)In November 2021, the Secretary of Defense approved a temporary basic allowance for housing increase for members in locations where rental prices rose at least 10 percent in 2021.(5)The Secretary of Defense’s authority to temporarily adjust basic allowance for housing rates in a military housing area, if the actual costs of adequate housing for civilians in that military housing area differs from the basic allowance for housing rate by more than 20 percent, is set to expire on September 30, 2022.