** Update - Housing with roommate secured for next 6 month- thanks for all help as sure others can use information below for reference**

My son just graduated OCS in Newport RI and will be stationed here for 6 months starting July 4. There is no base housing, no apt rentals, nothing and short term rental is not avail. He gets 10 days of hotel pay (even Motel 6 booked) and after that is SOL. Hoping TexAgs might have some leads as he does have off base housing allowance. You can text or call Sean Lucas at 512 924 8796 or me (James '84) at 512 924 8776. Sean was the person who started the topic of enlisted vs officer months ago that one of you might remember. Thanks for any assistance.

There's a lot of vacation rentals in that area. Are they all booked or too expensive?

I would say to use that insane BAH and buy a camper, which can be used in the future when PCSing or going to schools. BUT, I see that he will be in RI for three of the bad winter months, so that might not be a good idea.

Vacation rentals are $4K and up and want rent into March. Very strange arangements for the area but guess everyone escapes there. Located 10 days of base hotel but no luck after after July 14.

Texags84 said:

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Vacation rentals are $4K and up and want rent into March. Very strange arangements for the area but guess everyone escapes there. Located 10 days of base hotel but no luck after after July 14.

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I'm seeing some for around $100 a night online which is considerably less, but I don't know what his housing allowance will cover. If he got somebody else to throw in with him, it might be manageable.

He is supply school and only 3-4 in each class. Others go to a ship, Intel in HI or flight in FL. I think he is around 1500 mth and married get first priority for base. I think just part of process but thinking this happens alot there and no work on long term solution.

Thanks Dirk and good input. Contacted and they would not do the 6 months he needed. However he just got a ltext and lead from buddy on 2/1 in Portsmith and willing to do short term with throwing more $$ her way. Should know asap if accepted.

Hopefully that works out. If that falls through, another idea I had was a house boat rental. When I was stationed at Fort Lewis, I had many Soldiers who rented house boats in Tacoma and Seattle area as their "permanent quarters." I imagine with all the water access in that area, it could be an option.

Texags84 said:

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Thanks Dirk and good input. Contacted and they would not do the 6 months he needed. However he just got a ltext and lead from buddy on 2/1 in Portsmith and willing to do short term with throwing more $$ her way. Should know asap if accepted.

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If the apartment has a lease with a military clause, he can break the lease with PCS orders.

Thanks all, Housing has been secured out of the region but sustainable. If you know anyone who might be going this direction we would like to offer any suggestions. There is no local storage facilities avail. Local hotels are easily $250+ a night and filled quickly. Housing is near impossible (maybe be different in summer months but short term is not readily avail). On base is almost impossible but may be able to get a very early start but Navy does not provide a lot of guidance. Have heard of similar issues with Intel groups going to Hawaii but no real experience. Start early and keep daily contact as some things came avail in morning and filled that day. Thanks again.

Yes, the housing market right now is ridiculous. I just PCSed to Virginia and have used up my 10 days TLE. Luckily the base hotel isnt ridiculous, and only a little over BAH. Weird thing is I lived here 4 years ago and there was not only always something available, but there were several new housing projects under development as I was leaving, and it's still this bad.

It's been pretty much said, but I'll say it more concisely.

If you are military, don't tell them it's only a 6 month stay. If you have to show your LES, they'll know your military, but just play it off as if you're PCSd to the local base.

Just read the rental/lease agreement and ensure there is a clause in there to break it if you get PCS orders.

Then act surprised when you break the news to your landlord in 6 months that you are moving.

I've had too many 6 and 8 month training events to play games with folks not renting to me because they know it's short term. It's not really fair to the landlord, but the military is putting us in that situation without a lot of other good solutions.

Also, did your son not have a sponsor or POC up there to warn him about the impending housing situation? That's seriously bad on the navy if not. Does the unit have a housing office?

He posted earlier that he was an OCS student there first, so probably living in barracks on post, housing wasn't a concern. After graduation he was selected for Officer training on the same base in Newport, while many of the other students went elsewhere. Since he was already stationed in Newport and transitioned from OCS student to Officer student at the same installation, I doubt there was a sponsor assigned to him. The other Ensign's that PCS'd to different installations should get a sponsor.

100% agree with you about keeping quiet on short assignments with land lords. I have had two 10 months assignments, tough to get a lease for that time period. Its also rough on my wife looking for a real job in such a short window.

Being a old Air Force brat, the civilian world will never understand the world that military families have to live in.

Providence is drivable daily, if he has to expand his search. I'd stay out of Fall River. It's pretty run down and druggy, but maybe there are nicer areas I haven't seen.

This doesn't help but Newport really is crazy with housing. I've got my Reserve drill down there this weekend, and the NOSC filled up their berthing space immediately (Middletown Holiday Inn). I was just a few days late getting my request in, and there wasn't any place to put me so now I get to pay out of pocket for an Airbnb in Bristol.

I just did a quick trulia search for any rentals under 2K and it looks like it should be doable. Looks like some of them are available now. Rental avail. now

Howdy all, Thanks for input and suggestions. Housing for next 6 month has recently been secured with a roommate in Portsmouth. Appreciate all the TexAg support for and thanks again. James '84

The lease comments brought back an old memory. When I DEROS'd from SEA, I PCS'd to Holloman in Jan '74. Had an almost 2 yo and pregnant wife. We wanted a house on base but were told there would be a delay. Leased an apartment in Alamogordo with, IIRC, a not so onerous 3 month lease. Got base housing after one month but the apartment manager would let us out of the lease. I sucked it up, moved on base, and paid a couple of month's rent on an empty apartment. As the lease was about to end, I went back to do final cleanup to get my deposit back. When I opened the door, I discover 2" of greasy water throughout the apartment. The guy upstairs was pouring grease down their drain causing plugged pipes and a real mess. Had they let me out of my lease, it was likely that they would have rented it and the problem would have been caught early on.

Pardon an old man making a post only tangentially related to the original topic.

Glad to hear it. Let your son know if he and his friend want a beer and a meal this weekend paid for by a semi-crusty LCDR, I'd be happy to accommodate (no ranks at coddington brewery so far as I'm concerned). I'm guessing from the fact he's staying in Newport post PCS that he's a SWO?

Edit: I saw you said he's in suppo school. Even better. I don't think those folks are even required to learn rank!