Dear Military Spouse: How do I get a house on base?

Dear Military Spouse,

I’m fairly new to this game and I don’t really know how getting a house in the military works. We’re getting married when he gets back from Marine boot camp, how soon will it be until we’re able to get a house? Will we even get a house soon? I have a baby on the way and I’m a little nervous because I’m very lost on how all this housing stuff works because I want to prepare for the worst just in case we don’t get a house soon.

I would love if you contacted me back and help me out with all the things I need to know about how all the housing works.

Elizabeth S.

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Hi Elizabeth,

So I believe what you are asking is “How do I get a house on base?” and “How long will it take to get a house on base?” I actually get asked this question a lot, so you are not alone in wondering! It really doesn’t matter what branch of service your husband is in, this information is good across all branches!

Once you are married and enrolled into DEERS you will be eligible to live on base immediately, however, each base can have housing wait lists that can range from 1 week – 3 years. This means that you may have to wait one week for a house to become available, three years for one to become available or any time between then. I have never seen a housing waiting list longer than three years and three years is rare. Typically, you are looking at a waiting list of 1 week – 1 year in most cases.

Also, you cannot be placed on the housing waiting list until you are married and enrolled in DEERS, so this is not something that you can do before then.

Hope this helps answer your question and congratulations on your upcoming marriage!

Sincerely,

Bridget AKA Dear Military Spouse

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