[CPEO-MEF] HOUSING: "Defense budgets include protections for military families fighting mold contamination"

[Lenny Siegel]

Defense budgets include protections for military families fighting mold contamination
Both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate passed defense bills including new provisions to better protect families living in private on-base housing.

By Ileana Navarro
Tampa Bay Times
July 19, 2019

TAMPA - Families living in private housing at MacDill Air Force Base and at bases across the nation stand to gain new protections against mold contamination under a proposed national defense budget for 2020.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed its version of the National Defense Authorization Act last week. Like the Senate version, it would require landlords to disclose records of mold and lead contamination to prospective tenants and offer protection from retaliation to families who file grievances. Both also would establish a dispute resolution process for landlords and tenants and create a public database of military housing complaints.

Earlier this year the Tampa Bay Times reported that at least seven MacDill families had complained about mold in their homes and resulting health problems. In a review of nearly 10,000 Air Force base homes across the country, 25 percent had mold and moisture issues, 13 percent showed signs of vermin, 5 percent had chipped or flaking paint and 71 percent had other maintenance concerns.

…

For the entire article, see
https://www.tampabay.com/news/military/defense-budgets-include-protections-for-military-families-fighting-mold-contamination-20190718/

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Lenny Siegel
Executive Director
Center for Public Environmental Oversight
a project of the Pacific Studies Center
P.O. Box 998, Mountain View, CA 94042
Voice/Fax: 650/961-8918 
<lsiegel at cpeo.org>
http://www.cpeo.org