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Home Benefit Library Federal Benefits Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH)


BASIC ALLOWANCE FOR HOUSING (BAH)

Air Force Reserve: Active Duty

BENEFIT FACT SHEET

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Summary

Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) is a United States (U.S.) based allowance that
provides uniformed service members equitable housing compensation based on
housing costs in local housing markets when government quarters are not
provided. A service member stationed outside of the U.S., including U.S.
territories and possessions, who does not have government housing available is
eligible for Overseas Housing Allowance (OHA).

There are several types of BAH to satisfy various housing situations that occur
among military members. In general, the amount of BAH you receive depends on
your location, pay grade, and whether you have dependents. Under most
circumstances, you receive BAH for the location where you are assigned, not
where you live. Additionally, you may be entitled to some BAH amounts if you are
residing separately from your dependents. This occurs in situations involving
unaccompanied overseas tours or having a dependent child that resides with a
former spouse. The rules regarding these situations can become quite complex.
Consult your Finance Office if you are in one of these situations.

The BAH rates have increased an average of 5.4% effective January 1, 2024.


Eligibility

Air Force Reserve Service members on active duty are eligible for Basic
Allowance for Housing.

Benefit Highlights

Rates

Basic Allowance for Housing rates are based on local area rental market data and
vary by geographic duty station, pay grade and dependency status. The cost of
utilities is also considered. BAH is based only on rental properties, not
homeownership costs like mortgage payments and property taxes.

BAH also includes rate protection. This means, if a service member’s current BAH
rate is less than the previous year, the member receives at least the same
amount of BAH as the previous year, provided that the member’s duty location,
rank and dependency status remain the same. If BAH rates go up, the member will
receive the higher BAH rate as long as their eligibility is uninterrupted. This
ensures that members who have made long-term commitments in the form of a lease
or contract are not penalized if the area’s housing costs decrease.

For a complete listing of BAH rates, see BAH Rates for All Locations. Service
members can calculate their individual BAH rates using the BAH Calculator:
https://www.travel.dod.mil/Allowances/Basic-Allowance-for-Housing/BAH-Rate-Lookup/

Housing

BAH enables service members to live off-base at a comparable rate as their
civilian counterparts. It is not designed to cover all housing costs for all
members. Some members may have out-of-pocket expenses because the rates are
based on the median cost of rent. A service member’s actual expense may be
higher or lower depending on the service member’s choice of housing and where
they live.

Service members are free to make housing choices that best suit their needs;
therefore, they may choose to use all their housing allowance to rent expensive
housing close to their duty station or they may choose to have a longer commute
by renting a larger home in a less expensive area/outlying area that is further
from their duty station.

Housing Allowance Waiver Program

The Secretarial Housing Waiver (BAH/OHA) PSD Guide clarifies secretarial waiver
guidance for service members to be considered to receive BAH, OHA, AND COLA at
other than the Permanent Duty Station (PDS) location under certain
circumstances.

What is it? The BAH/OHA waivers provide temporary assistance to service members
and their dependents to ease the transition of a Permanent Change of Station
(PCS) move to the new Permanent Duty Station (PDS) in limited situations when
the service member and dependents will reside separately. A waiver under this
authority does not provide for "dual" housing allowances; rather, the member's
old PDS or dependents' location could be eligible for a higher BAH rate than the
member's new PDS assignment.

What does it do? The housing allowance waiver program provides temporary
assistance to service member and their families to ease the transition of a
permanent change of station (PCS) move to the new permanent duty station in the
United States or overseas. An approved waiver allows the airmen to receive a
housing allowance based on the old duty station or government approved
designated location instead of the new permanent duty station.

Who qualifies? The program applies to service members with dependents whose
dependents reside with them at the previous duty station prior to departing on a
PCS or at a government approved designated location (for service members serving
an unaccompanied/dependent restricted tour).

 * The dependent must reside with the service member prior to the PCS unless the
   member is serving an unaccompanied/dependent restricted tour

 * The dependent must continue to reside at the previous duty station or
   government-approved designated place during the waiver period

 * Service members without a dependent can only apply for a waiver under a
   Low/No Cost (LCNC) PCS.

What situations qualify? Service members may apply for consideration of a
housing allowance waiver under the following circumstances:

 * Low/No cost PCS - Service members who are not authorized to move household
   goods or dependents and must commute from the same residence occupied at the
   last duty station to the new duty station. Active duty PCS orders must
   reflect a code of “V” or “M”. Service members must have made their housing
   decision based on the prior assignment, must provide a written statement to
   the assignment OPR certifying they will not relocate their household as a
   result of PCS and must continue to commute from the same residence to the new
   permanent duty station. Assignment OPR must confirm locations are within
   commuting distance.

 * Professional Military Education (PME) or training course - Service members
   who will attend a military school or training course specify the course
   length (start and end date), location and title. JTR indicates approval for
   courses scheduled for a duration of one year or less are routinely approved.

 * Dependent education - Service members in receipt of Permanent Change of
   Station (PCS) orders with a dependent who; is scheduled to complete the
   senior year in high school (Note: waivers granted for senior year exemption
   will not cover more than one academic year); or service members who receive
   PCS orders AFTER the starting date of the dependent's school year; or service
   members who receive PCS orders less than 60 calendar days prior to the start
   of the school year. The waiver approval period shall not exceed 7 calendar
   days after the last official school year end date.

 * Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) or medical considerations- The
   Department of the Air Force has implemented an automated travel screening
   process to simplify required medical screening before a PCS. Members can
   visit the EFMP Family Vector website to begin the screening process. Medical
   clearance is required for all Exceptionally Family Member Program families
   preparing to PCS, and for those members selected for an overseas assignment.

 * Advance travel of dependent - A dependent that travels ahead of the service
   member to the new duty station and establishes a residence with a lease or
   mortgage agreement.

 * Delayed travel of dependent- May occur in cases of: TDY enroute to new PDS,
   Member in receipt of Retirement Order, Member in receipt of Deployment Order,
   or a delay associated with circumstances beyond the members control.

 * Assignment to CONUS-isolated location designation based upon criteria in DAFI
   36-2110. The member's eligibility is based on member's receipt of a PCS order
   for an unaccompanied assignment for the applicable minimum tour length
   (currently 15 month minimum tour length).

How do service members apply? Sevice members are required to submit the
following documents for consideration:

 * Waiver Request Submission Requirements: Service members will submit the
   Secretarial Housing Waiver request via myFSS (Secretarial Housing Waiver
   Process). The request will flow to AFPC/DP1T who will ensure all the required
   documentation is provided and forward to the AFPC O6 approval authority. Once
   approved/disapproved, AFPC/DP1T will close the case out after including the
   decision memorandum in the Airman’s myFSS account. The Airman will be
   responsible for taking the approval memorandum to their servicing finance
   office to continue/initiate the housing waiver.

 * PCS order to the old duty station

 * PCS order to the new duty station

 * Required document based on situation service members is applying for (PME,
   deployment, education).

Different Types of BAH

BAH With Dependents and BAH Without Dependents

A service member with a permanent duty within the 50 United States, who is not
furnished government housing, is eligible BAH, based on the service member's
dependency status at the permanent duty ZIP Code. A service member stationed
overseas, including U.S. protectorates, who is not furnished government housing,
is eligible for Overseas Housing Allowance (OHA) based on the service member's
dependency status. If a service member is serving an UNACCOMPANIED overseas
tour, the service member is eligible for BAH at the "with dependents" rate,
based on the dependent's U.S. residence ZIP Code, plus OHA at the "without
dependents" rate, if the service member is not furnished government housing
overseas.

Partial BAH

A service member without dependents who is living in government quarters is
entitled to a Partial BAH.

BAH Reserve Component/Transit (BAH RC/T)

BAH RC/T is a non-locality housing allowance for service members in particular
circumstances, for example, Reservists on active duty for 30 or fewer days. It
also applies when a service member is in transit from selected areas where no
prior BAH rate exists (such as overseas). It does not vary by geographic
location. BAH RC/T was set based on the old Basic Allowance for Quarters (BAQ),
which was based on the national average for housing. BAH RC/T is published
annually and is determined by increasing the previous year's rates by the
national average percentage growth of housing costs.

BAH-Differential (BAH-Diff)

BAH-Diff is the housing allowance amount for a service member who is assigned to
single-type quarters and who is authorized a basic allowance for housing solely
by reason of the service member's payment of child support. A service member is
not entitled to BAH-Diff if the monthly rate of that child support is less than
the BAH-Diff. BAH-Diff is determined by the U.S. Secretary of Defense (SECDEF)
and was equal to the difference between BAQ with dependents and BAQ without
dependents in 1997 for the service member's grade. BAH-Diff is published
annually and is determined by increasing the previous year's rates by the
percentage growth of military basic pay. For more information contact your
Finance Office.

Note: Beginning with the 2012 BAH rates, the Department is publishing the
average percentage breakdown between rent and utilities for each Military
Housing Area. This additional information will assist service members with
making informed housing choices when relocating to a new area.
https://www.travel.dod.mil/?dir=/Allowances/BAH/Component_Breakdown/

Additional Information

Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH):
https://www.travel.dod.mil/Allowances/Basic-Allowance-for-Housing/

Different Types of BAH:
https://militarypay.defense.gov/Pay/Allowances/BAH_Types/

BAH Overview:
https://media.defense.gov/2022/Nov/30/2003123606/-1/-1/0/BAH_FACT_SHEET.PDF

BAH Calculator:
https://www.travel.dod.mil/Allowances/Basic-Allowance-for-Housing/BAH-Rate-Lookup/

BAH Component Breakdown for All Locations:
https://www.travel.dod.mil/?dir=/Allowances/BAH/Component_Breakdown/

BAH Service Representatives:
https://www.travel.dod.mil/Allowances/Basic-Allowance-for-Housing/

BAH Primer:
https://media.defense.gov/2022/Jun/23/2003023204/-1/-1/0/BAH-PRIMER.PDF

Department of Defense Financial Management Regulation (FMR), Volume 7A, Chapter
26 "Housing Allowances":
https://comptroller.defense.gov/Portals/45/documents/fmr/current/07a/07a_26.pdf

Document Review Date: 29 December 2023



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