Army Lt. Gen. Kevin Admiral, commanding general of III Armored Corps and Fort Cavazos, Texas, tears down a home using an excavator on March 20, 2025, at the military base. (U.S. Army)
AUSTIN, Texas — More than $1 billion in new construction and renovations of Army family housing has started at six bases, according to the companies conducting the work.
Of that, $322 million is funding 200 new homes at Fort Campbell, Ky., $420 million will build more than 500 new homes at Fort Cavazos, Texas, $80 million will renovate nearly 800 homes at Fort Knox, Ky., and $210 million will go toward renovations of more than 2,000 homes at Fort Bragg, N.C., Fort Meade, Md., and Fort Novosel, Ala.
The funds are part of ongoing efforts to improve base housing for service members with families. The work was sparked by Congress after lawmakers heard stories of residents and children being sickened by toxic conditions in some homes. In congressional testimony and lawsuits, military families said they experienced mold, pest and rodent infestations, chronic plumbing failures and leaks, which were often met with slow or unhelpful maintenance response.
The Army and other services have spent the past five years implementing new standards and oversight of the companies that build and maintain most of the family housing in the United States.
A survey released last year by Military Family Advisory Network found more families would like to live in base housing again, but availability has become the top reason why they don’t. In the two previously released surveys, families told the nonprofit organization that it was poor conditions in military base housing that pushed them to lease in the civilian community.
That change in opinion might stem from improved response times for maintenance, Shannon Razsadin, CEO of MFAN, said of the findings.
Her organization has toured the new homes at Fort Cavazos and said they are “beautiful.”
“With the housing market challenges, having these options for junior enlisted families will make a big difference,” Razsadin said.
At Fort Campbell and Fort Cavazos, new construction is replacing outdated homes for junior enlisted troops, according to Centinel Public Partnerships, the company formerly known as LendLease. Demolition began last month to 272 homes in McNair Village, which were built in the 1940s. It is the second phase of the Heritage Heights neighborhood, which opened to families about two years ago.
“[The demolition] serves as a testament to our commitment to building neighborhoods that cater to the evolving needs of families,” Gretchen Turpen, executive vice president of Centinel, said during her remarks at a March 20 ceremony to mark the demolition beginning. “Centinel remains steadfast in our commitment to setting a new standard for military housing communities here at Fort Cavazos and across our entire portfolio. We deeply value the trust that military families place in us.”
Centinel marked the completion of the first 10 of 200 new three-bedroom homes in Erevia Park at Fort Campbell with a ceremony in December. The company pledged about 20 new homes would come online each month through completion.
Army Cpl. Byrant, his wife and Army veteran Naomi, and their daughter Ylianett, outside new homes that are part of a neighborhood at Fort Campbell, Ky., designed with junior enlisted families in mind. (U.S. Army)
Renovations at Fort Knox will expand 50 three-bedroom homes to have four bedrooms, according to Centinel. The other 720 homes will get renovated living spaces.
At Fort Bragg, Fort Novosel and Fort Meade, some of the renovations include updated plumbing, roof replacement, new kitchen and bathroom cabinets and fixtures, and updated lighting, flooring and windows, according to Corvias, the company that manages the homes.
The company has also invested $200 million for new air conditioning systems for roughly 5,000 homes at Fort Bragg, Fort Meade and Fort Sill in Oklahoma.
Another project from the company is expanding a program to improve the environment inside the home through air and water purification systems and humidity control to 4,500 homes at Fort Bragg, Fort Meade and Fort Riley.
