# Plain Language Summary: Military Housing Allowance for the Virgin Islands

Right now, military members stationed in the United States get a housing allowance to help pay for rent or mortgages. This bill extends that same benefit to military members stationed in the Virgin Islands. Currently, those service members don't receive this housing assistance even though they face the same costs of living as their counterparts on the mainland.

The bill makes a straightforward change to federal law by adding the Virgin Islands to the list of places where military members qualify for basic housing allowance payments. This means that soldiers, sailors, airmen, and other uniformed service members stationed there would receive the same monthly stipend to cover housing costs that military members get everywhere else in the country. The change would take effect on January 1, 2022, so any payments made after that date would include Virgin Islands-based service members.

For military families in the Virgin Islands, this is a meaningful financial boost. Housing costs in the territory can be quite high, so this allowance would help offset those expenses just like it does for military families in Hawaii, California, or any other state. It's essentially saying that service members deserve equal support regardless of whether they're stationed on the mainland or in a U.S. territory.

To amend title 37, United States Code, to authorize the basic allowance for housing for members of the uniformed services in the Virgin Islands.

Plaskett, Stacey E.

This bill adjusts the housing allowance for uniformed service members in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Specifically, the Department of Defense must provide to a service member serving in the U.S. Virgin Islands the basic housing allowance, rather than the overseas housing allowance. Currently, a service member on duty in the U.S. Virgin Islands receives the overseas housing allowance, which is limited to cost reimbursement. By contrast, service members in the 50 states and the District of Columbia receive the basic housing allowance, which offers a fixed amount for each locality and grade/rank.