European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - December 13, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Tuesday december 13, 1988 the stars and stripes Page 9 Clutts a Crutch irid and his wife Vitolan Walti television in the Small living room bedroom apartment they live occupied in a Frankfurt Hole since aug. 12. A sad waiting game but it s the Only one in town by Janet ii Owells tie River staff writer Frankfurt wot Germany about 1.300 families Wail., and chances arc they la still be wailing months or even a year from now for permanent government housing in the Frankfurt military Community. Chronic shortages of both government and off Post housing in Frankfurt Over the past year have left arriving families in turmoil and the housing office scram bling for solutions. We were warned there would be a six week wait for permanent housing said Judy Highsmith who with husband Willie an  sergeant and two daughters arrived june 27. The High Simitis had been to Germany before and expected to travel during the House Hunting time. But the six week Wail turned out to be nearly 4 to months in the military Community s hotel the ambassador  while they wailed the family lived in a suite of three rooms and a bathroom. The hotel Lias 197 rooms and is designed to serve As a Short term residence for people entering or leaving the Community. In november 1981, there Wen boo people on the Community s list for permanent government housing. However that number began increasing dramatically in december 1987 because of new troop assignments to the area. Also More soldiers were extending their hours in Frankfurt according to Klaus d. Chin hous ing division chief. The Community has 2,967 sets of government owned quarters and 700 leased units. And about 3,000 military and civilian families live on the Economy in privately rented apartments. All incoming families regardless of rank can expect to Wail about five months  of the 280 temporary government quarters available officials said. For permanent government housing soldiers in the Junior enlisted ranks normally wait Between five and 15ft months depending on the number of bedrooms needed senior officers will Wail Between two and six months which is considered acceptable White Junior officers Cool their heels about four months for a three bedroom dwelling and three months for two bed rooms. We were told there would be an eight week wait for permanent quarters said maj. Curtis w. Crutchfield of the 5th finance group who brought his wife Vivi an with him to Frankfurt aug. 12. They have been in a single room at the ambassador  since around the second week of october we were told it would be 20 weeks. Now we re told Dee. 16 is our eligibility Date but that we should t keep our fingers crossed. We have no table in our room. How often can you go out to dinner the couple also must share a bathroom with the room next door. It s riot been for Lack of Effort on the Community s pan that the housing crunch has plagued Frankfurt. Officials initially turned to a Quick but unpopular fix. On 15 december 1987, i sent a request to 1st personnel come to Slop All concurrent travel to this area said la. Col John , then Frank fun s director of engineering and housing. It was the Only  that meant families would a remaining stateside until soldiers assigned to Frankfurt landed a Home. However the Impact of the policy was blunted somewhat because assignments of accompanied sol Dier were made 12 months ahead of time said Ray g. Jendras chief of the 1st personnel come s personnel movements div. Also Usa eur policy gives single parents and married  couples automatic approval for concur rent travel. And the Community makes an exception for senior Grade officers since housing normally is available shortly after their arrival. Although Jendras office switched to seven month forecasts of accompanied soldiers in May Many sol Diers continued to arrive with spouses children and High expectations. Some families were diverted to Frankfurt from assignments to other communities while others received dated information about the housing situation. Bui there has been some positive movement As a result of the efforts. In Early december Only 71 families assigned to Frankfurt were drawing temporary lodging allowance Wildenburg said. Seventeen of those families have been receiving the allowance More than go Days. That compares to the More than 400 or so families on la six months ago. The rest of the 1,000-plus families on the Perma nent housing wailing list Are now living either in icon the real estate Market is controlled by agents who charge a finder s fee equal to three months rent ? Klaus Hein omy apartments or the 280 temporary quarters. While other avenues exist to ease the housing Short age obstacles to Success Range from the size of military housing allowances to the Light housing Market of Eccl eng anyone in Frankfurt j the military Community got approval july 2 to Start the government rental housing program which allows the leasing of private quarters in the City. But although authorized 10 lease up to Iso units Only five had been found As of Early december. The program has t. Attracted local landlords be cause apartment rents must match the amount soldiers gel in housing allowances and that s usually not enough. And while the Community is authorized to add 1,000 More build let lease units Wildenburg said it has been difficult finding land available in the congested City. So he has hired developers to build in areas around Frankfurt. But constructing apartment buildings to lease takes years so the waiting game is still the Only one in town on or off Post. As of september 3,205 off Post apartments met Usa eur sanitation and Iii requirements the housing office knows of about 300 civilians and sol Diers waiting for any of those to open up Chin said. While the housing referral office must Deal with its own problems of Short staffing it recently changed its wait list policy to ensure thai those who had been Wall ing the longest got first crack at private apartments. In the past available Economy quarters were Given to those first in line when the pro opened for business but even the step toward fairness has had a draw Back. The open referral system worked better said Heinc Pappert an pro specialist in the Frankfurt office. We had people standing outside at 5 30 a.m., but then we did t lose apartments like we arc now because we can t gel hold of the families on the  Pappert said six apartments have been lost in past weeks because families could t be contacted before landlords became impatient and rented to germans even without the Long Waits Many soldiers Don t bother gelling on the off Post housing list because they can t afford the initial costs or the skyrocketing monthly rents in the bustling City Chin said. The real estate Market is controlled by agents who charge a finder s fee equal to three months rent thin said. That ends up being about 4.500 Marks $2,600 finder s fee then about 1,500 Marks j867 for the first month s rent and another 4,500 Marks for the land lord s deposit.". Some landlords require a non refundable prepaid maintenance and repair fee of up to 2,000 Marks ,156wildenburg said. Although the housing office advises soldiers not to agree to the charge some sign. The contract anyway. Further limiting in c ability to rent privately is the fact thai a Soldier s housing allowance is based on rank and arcs assigned not on family size. An  specialist with three command sponsored children gets about 1,512 German Marks $871the same housing pay As someone of similar rank with Only a spouse Chin said. Most lower enlisted soldiers just Don l get enough to pay what a landlord can Jet from germans moving into the area Chin said. " -,." the Community has submitted suggestions under the Model installation program to get funding for sol Diers to pay the High costs especially the finder s fee,." but it awaits approval from the department of the .  ". Rev.  Renu Ulion of old  also keeps needed apartments empty for Long periods. Four of the 160 stairwell buildings Are scheduled to be renovated during 19b9, which Means about 100 fewer per manent quarters and 10 fewer temporary quarters available next year Wildenburg said. In the meantime most soldiers and their families wait when we look to next summer when our next big housing influx will hit we Don l expect it to gel better said Wildenberg who is now v corps Engi Neering and housing director. While the Crutch Fields remain in their single hotel room the High smiles moved Inlo temporary quarters nov. 15 and were told they might get permanent hous ing in the Spring. The apartment has three bedrooms and Best of All a Kitchen Willie Highsmith  be Learned to expect anything so we expect we might get permanent housing Iii a year. Then again we might be on our Way Back to the states before thai