Efforts to strengthen protections for military families in privatized housing gain momentum in Senate

A comprehensive set of measures aimed at tackling systemic issues in privatized military housing that have left thousands of tenants exposed to hazardous conditions in their own homes made it into the Senate Armed Services Committee’s fiscal 2027 defense policy bill — a win for military families who have spent years pushing for stronger protections. 

Key provisions of the bipartisan Military Occupancy Living Defense Act, or MOLD Act, introduced earlier this year that seek to set stronger health and safety standards, mandate independent inspections and require greater transparency were included in the Senate’s version of the 2027 National Defense Authorization Bill. The National Military Family Association said the measure is approaching a “critical moment” in Congress and encouraged military families to speak out in support of the legislation. 

Specifically, the legislation would require the Defense Department to establish departmentwide standards for acceptable levels of humidity, ventilation, dampness and water intrusion in military family housing. Under the bill, the Pentagon would have 180 days to issue interim guidance and one year to establish final standards. 

If passed, the bill would require the Defense Department to use independent third-party inspectors to conduct environmental health inspections in privatized military housing whenever tenants file a complaint or following any remediation effort. The MOLD Act, however, also sought to mandate inspections upon every tenant turnover.

“It’s important that they’re testing in between tenants. We’re seeing some tenants get sick in homes … they move out and within two weeks there’s a new tenant in that home, and now they’re sick. This is going to prevent that from happening,” Erica Thompson, a military spouse and military families’ liaison for the Change the Air Foundation, told Federal News Network earlier this year.

Minimum requirements for environmental inspections would include evaluations of HVAC, plumbing and electrical systems, structural integrity, signs of water intrusion and mold, indoor air quality concerns, as well as review of contractor compliance with privatized military housing contract requirements and housing regulations of the Defense Department. All documents should be made available to the installation commander and military housing office. Prospective tenants would also be able to request those records before moving in.

The bill would further require DoD to ensure that all maintenance personnel, contracted mold assessors, indoor environmental professionals and mold remediators responsible for assessing or remediating mold and water damage in privatized military housing hold current certifications issued by nationally recognized, third-party, nonprofit certifying organizations. All mold remediation activities would also be required to comply with industry standards established by the American National Standards Institute and the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification. 

“We’re really supportive of the fact that this bill would require certain trusted certifications that are used widely in the industry. The other thing is to ensure that mold remediations are following the standard of care. That’s incredibly important so that people aren’t ripping walls open with families still in it and mold and toxins contaminating all of their personal belongings; that they’re not using bleach or Kilz paint and calling that remediation. That doesn’t work, that’s not proper remediation,” Brandon Chappo, co-founder and director of public policy at the Change the Air Foundation, told Federal News Network. 

In addition, the Senate bill includes the MOLD Act’s language requiring private military housing companies to pay for required third-party inspections, maintenance, mold remediation and all relocation expenses for military families who are forced to vacate unlivable units. The legislation would require housing providers to “refund any amounts paid through a basic allowance for housing for military families forced to vacate uninhabitable units.” Some attorneys, however, expressed skepticism that military families would be able to recover money their landlords owe them.

“I am proud to have advanced sweeping reforms to confront toxic mold and unsafe conditions in military housing. It is shameful that thousands of military families live in homes with mold, asbestos, and water damage — hazards that put their health and safety at risk. At my urging, the Senate’s NDAA imposes enforceable standards, independent inspections and stronger accountability measures to safeguard the health and readiness of service members and their families,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) said in a statement.

The Senate bill also seeks to improve the complaint database for privatized military housing and prohibit landlords from requiring current or prospective tenants to sign nondisclosure agreements. 

While the House Armed Services Committee did not include the MOLD Act in its version of the NDAA, the National Military Family Association said the bill will be introduced as an amendment when the annual bill reaches the House floor.

The House is expected to take up its version of the fiscal 2027 NDAA before the July recess.

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