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Phantom Blooper
12-24-09, 10:12 PM
BAH for Lejeune increases for every paygrade

December 24, 2009 10:15 PM
HOPE HODGE

It won’t come in time for Christmas, but local military can expect to see a little extra in their paychecks and housing allowances, beginning the first of the year.

President Barack Obama signed the 2010 Defense Appropriation Bill Monday, which included a 3.4 percent pay raise for all military members. And Dec. 16, the Department of Defense announced 2010 Basic Allowance for Housing rates, which are adjusted yearly in keeping with market trends.

While some regions of the country saw the monthly allotment decrease, rates for Camp Lejeune increased in every pay grade, with increases ranging from $52 to $198 monthly for troops without dependents and $47 to $194 for those with dependents.

According to DoD releases, the average BAH increase nationwide is about 2.5 percent. An estimated $19 billion will be paid to nearly 1 million service members in 2010, according to Defense Department statistics.

Eileen Lainez, a spokesperson for the DoD, said that the rates were the result of official data collection throughout the year. The data analyzed current housing costs for six different kinds of dwellings and estimated how much a civilian with a similar paycheck and situation was likely to spend on housing. She emphasized that military members and families enjoy individual rate protection if already in a housing location.

“If you’re already there and (the BAH rate) decreases, then you don’t have to worry,” Lainez said.

Sandy Hurst, owner and broker of Home Team GMAC Real Estate and the past chairperson of the North Carolina Association of Realtors, Property Management Division, said that although in past years BAH increases have affected the civilian housing market, this year she doesn’t expect the amount to make a difference.

“I just can’t picture the rates of rent going up any more,” Hurst said. “I think, for the next year or so, we’ve reached where we need to be. What (the increases) might do is get some of the lower ranks to afford a little bit better house.”

Hurst said that that, three years ago, housing rental rates in Jacksonville were well-below the market average, and that the increases since then have just brought rates to a stable market level. Renters can expect to spend between $650 and $850 a month in Jacksonville, she said. The average cost to buy a home in Onslow County, according to a previous Daily News article, is about $194,000.

Amanda Cariglia, who, with her husband, Sgt. Brian Cariglia, recently purchased a home in Jacksonville, said with increases in taxes and insurance rates, they won’t see any extra money at the end of the day.

“It definitely won’t give us anything to save,” she said. “Maybe we’ll have enough left over to put a little gas in the car.”

Sgt. Jorge Herrera, who lives in town with his wife, Ashley Herrera, said any extra money would go into savings.

“Increasing our savings means we can put more money towards the vacation that we never had before,” Herrera said. “It’s always good news when we get more money.”



Contact Hope Hodge 910-219-8453 or hhodge@freedomenc.com.