Veteran-owned business launches campaign to raise housing allowances for soldiers
HINESVILLE, Ga. (WTGS) — A veteran-owned business is starting a campaign to raise housing allowances for soldiers in Coastal Georgia.
Eric Lukkarinen is an army veteran turned real estate professional who is concerned about the housing opportunities for soldiers stationed at Fort Stewart and Hunter Army Airfield.
"The military is struggling to get them housing on post, and as a result, we find them doubling up in housing off post with other families and, in fact living in RV parks to be able to find on-post housing somewhere into the future," Lukkarinen said.
Lukkarinen said Georgia is experiencing a housing crisis, much like the rest of the country.
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He said a lower supply of property paired with the lower basic allowance for housing these soldiers receive makes it harder for them to find an adequate place to stay.
"It's just not possible right now to be able to afford to be able to live in a rental property in the marketplace right now given the income that they are receiving for their current housing allowance," Lukkarinen said. "If they can't get a rental with the sales prices what they are and the interest rates as high as they are, it's even harder to find a place to buy."
He added that Representative Buddy Carter of Georgia's First Congressional District could appeal to the Department of Defense for an emergency raise to the BAH level at these bases.
"Well, Buddy Carter has been a friend to the military community, and we look forward to him being aware of this and engaging this," Lukkarinen said. "So we are fairly confident that we will be able to meet our goal and get that BAH level raised similar to that of what Beaufort Marine Corps Air Station is getting up in South Carolina."
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Lukkarinen said they are using social media and training seminars with veterans and active military to encourage the community to reach out to Carter's office.
FOX28 has reached out to Carter for a response on this, and we have yet to hear back.
