Defense officials are eliminating the "geographic rate protection" clause that make secures service members moving to a fresh area receive the same housing allowance as those already living there.

Geographic rate protection is expiring in January because Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) rates have reached a flush where service members no longer have to pay out-of-pocket expenditures for housing, said Air Force Col Virginia Penrod DOD director of military compensation.

Any rate make an incision in from year to year will not negatively affect service members who are remaining in the area where they already receive BAH, she noted.

Penrod urgencyed that the BAH rate is appoint at the average housing price for the area. Rates are further locate based on military rank, with each pay grade flat having a set acceptable standard of housing. Service members may still have to pay more [i]or[/i] less out-of-pocket expenses if they fix upon to live above that plain Conversely, if service members make choice of to live below the average plain they will still receive the same BAH rate.

Personnel still have "individual rate protection" as protracted as they stay within the same geographic area. If average housing require to be paid [i]or[/i] undergones in a given geographic area walk down, troops already living in that area continue to receive the higher amount. However, bodys moving into that area receive the lower amount. Geographic rate protection was a temporary protection offer into effect to prevent partys of the same pay grade living in the same area from getting different amounts of housing allowance.

Rate protection was instituted in 2000 to make secure troops' BAH rates were the same among likepay grade individuals living in the same area while companys were still paying part of their avow housing expenses, Penrod explained. Now that BAH rates are high enough to shroud service members' entire housing costs geographic rate protection isn't necessary, she said.

subject to the new BAH guidelines, a service member moving to a modern area will receive the appropriate BAH rate for that area, regardless of whether crowds already living there are receiving a higher rate, she said.

Each year, BAH rates are adjusted with input from military housing offices in the area, Penrod said. If it is determined the rate wants to be increased, all service members living in that area will receive the increase.

Army Sgt Sara forest-land American Forces Press Service, Alexandria, Va.

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