European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 14, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Saturday March 14, 1992 the stars and stripes b Page 3homing in on a longtime problem housing efforts Are paying off for Vicenza personnel by Gary Miller Mediterranean Bureau Vicenza Italy a everyone at Vicenza a Caserma Ederle seemed to be talking about one problem a housing a when maj. Gen. James a. Musselman arrived there in August 1990. A there a fire 200 and some people on the waiting list it took four to six months to get a House and people  get temporary lodging allowance so their wives had to stay Back in the states a said the general command Musselman or of the bases largest unit the Southern european task Force. About 10,000 americans a including Active duty soldiers civilians and family members a Are assigned to Vicenza and officials believe the population will remain stable. Housing those thousands has been a problem for years. The Post has enough government quarters for about 370 of the More than 1,800 american families in Vicenza. The other families must find housing on the Economy a no easy task in the highly competitive rental Market. To give soldiers an Edge against italians drawn to Vicenza by the Promise of jobs in one of Italy a most Industrial areas base officials in late 1990 launched a Multi pronged attack on the housing Market. Not All of their efforts have worked. But today fewer than 100 people Are waiting for government Ana Economy housing. The average waiting period for a Home either in government quarters or on the Economy is less than 45 Days said Glenda c. Bickett Vicenza a housing chief. One Early Effort a compelling single service members living on the Economy to move Back on base so that married soldiers could have their Reagan off base Homes a caused dissension among those forced Back into Barracks living. Other initiatives in the past 20 months a amps Gary Mellor col. James Stapleton the Southern european task forces Deputy commander talks to landlords in the Vicenza Italy area. Have included receptions on base for area realtors and landlords hiring new housing office staff members to search for rental property and moving offices out of the Barracks to provide More living space. Convincing Washington officials that a the fight for quarters around Here is Tough was an important step toward improving the situation said it. Col. Michael j. Reagan set aft a finance and accounting officer. When members of the defense departments per diem committee visited Vicenza last october Reagan and other base representatives showed the committee just How Tough it was. A we had an article from a local newspaper that showed there were 1,200 italians searching for housing who were in the same income level As our Junior enlisted a said Reagan. Committee members raised rent ceilings for troops in Vicenza in pay grades Al to 0-2 to $630, Reagan said. While that meant an increase of Only a few dollars for lieutenants it nearly doubled the limit for Els whose rent ceiling until then was $324. The limit was recently raised another $46. A even with the extra Money there a not too much left Over. We re not Bank ing a lot of Money like people think a said spec. Lenny Miller. Miller one of Reagan a finance specialists was promoted from private first class on March 1. He has to walk up to the fourth floor two bedroom apartment he shares with his wife and 2-year-old daughter. The apartment took him More than eight months to find and costs him nearly $550 a month. The rent ceiling increase Means an extra $250 a month said Miller who recently received his first Winter heating Bill amounting to More than $1,000 for three months. During Winter in Vicenza temperatures often drop to below freezing neat ing systems Are inefficient and insulation is nonexistent in houses and apartments. A they can never raise the temperature to a level that a satisfactory a said Hal Greer Vicenza a former tax free products coordinator. A when they try to do it. They have catastrophic Bills a Greer said. Saunders thanks to a new italian government policy soldiers now receive a 35 percent discount on portable Gas tanks or  troops can use the Bombola Heaters to warm the areas of the Home they Are actually using Greer said. But 37 families  have Homes to heat if base officials Hadnot ordered single soldiers Back into Barracks last August so that the families could have the Homes on the Economy. A housing lied to us a said sgt. Janet Saunders one of the relocated soldiers referring to a memo from housing. The memo dated july 9, 1991, and signed by Bickett explained that its bearers were a conducting a routine Survey of All housing division controlled  a during my two years on the Economy no one had come to Survey my apartment a Saunders said. A it was never our intention to lie. We were trying to be More humane a Bickett said. Telling soldiers they had to move on Post Only to reverse those orders after finding that their Homes were unsuitable for families would have disrupted their lives needlessly Bickett  moves to ease temporary lodging costs by Walter Jahncke staff writer the housing referral office at Aviano a Italy has begun to lease local housing units in an attempt to offset the bases High temporary lodging costs. Not counting family members More than 2,000 service members and department of defense civilians Are stationed at Aviano. In addition the base soon will be providing accommodations for the 30 staff members of 16th air Force Headquarters which is relocating to Aviano a at least temporarily a from Torrejon a Spain. And Aviano has no base housing. As a result anywhere from 50 to 80 people Are on temporary living allowance at any Given time while looking for an apartment to rent. From july through december of last year Aviano paid $650,000 for temporary lodging for service members alone said Jerry Berry Aviano a housing referral officer. That figure does not include the additional allowance for family members and for meals. By comparison 50 units of leased housing will Cost $300,000 a year Berry said. The Aviano base commander and civil engineering commander requested the housing program from . Air forces Europe a housing division Headquarters a year and a half ago because Aviano has continually posted the highest temporary lodging allowance figures in the command. The program part of the government rental housing program allows the base housing office to lease apartment buildings As Well As individual apartments for military families. The housing office plans to lease 200 units and has already signed some of the contracts. With 200 units Berry said the regular rotation of people in and out of Aviano would limit the stay in temporary quarters to not More than 20 Days. Under the program the government pays All of the housing costs including rent condominium fees Utility costs registration fees and maintenance costs. The Homes will be equipped with cabinets sinks Light fixtures and hookups for washers and dryers Berry said. The majority of the quarters will be single family units and All will meet or exceed . Government standards. Those who use the leased quarters Are not eligible for the overseas housing allowance living quarters allowance the move in housing allowance or the Basic allowance for quarters which Are available to lodgers in rental quarters. Participants in the leased housing program do not forfeit their Cost of living allowance. Military members with an accompanied tour and department of defense civilian employees Are eligible for the leased housing program. Single service members and single civilians May not apply for the program and families whose current Economy quarters Are deemed adequate by the air Force will not be offered the program