Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) at Locations Other Than the Member's Permanent Duty Station (PDS)

1. PURPOSE. TO CLARIFY INTENT OF REFS A THROUGH C THAT 
AUTHORIZE BAH TO BE BASED ON THE OLD PDS RATE IN SITUATIONS INVOLVING 
MULTIPLE AND CONSECUTIVE UNFUNDED PERMANENT CHANGE OF ASSIGNMENTS. 
FURTHERMORE, TO ESTABLISH CLEAR CRITERIA FOR AUTHORIZING BAH AT 
LOCATIONS OTHER THAN THE MEMBER'S PDS. CLARIFICATION WILL ENSURE 
THAT POLICY AND EXECUTION CONFORMS TO THE INTENT OF THE LAW AND WILL 
ASSIST MARINES IN MAKING INFORMED HOUSING DECISIONS.
2. BACKGROUND. BAH VARIES BASED ON GRADE, GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION OF 
THE MEMBER, AND DEPENDENCY STATUS. ALTHOUGH BAH IS GENERALLY BASED 
ON ONE'S PDS, THE SERVICES ARE AUTHORIZED TO BASE BAH ON OTHER 
LOCATIONS UNDER THE FOLLOWING CIRCUMSTANCES:
(1) UNACCOMPANIED/RESTRICTED TOURS
(2) UNFUNDED PCS/PCA ORDERS (PROXIMITY MOVES)
(3) PCS ORDERS FOR PME/TRAINING (DURATION OF 12 MONTHS OR LESS)
(4) CRITICAL HOUSING AREAS (CHA)
3. DEFINITIONS. 
A. INEQUITY. A SITUATION IN WHICH A MEMBER MAKES A HOUSING DECISION 
BASED ON A BAH RATE IN EFFECT AT A DUTY STATION INTO WHICH THE MEMBER 
WAS INITIALLY PCS'D AND THE MEMBER IS LATER DISADVANTAGED BY 
RECEIVING A LOWER BAH ASSOCIATED WITH THE NEW DUTY STATION DESPITE 
NOT BEING AUTHORIZED RELOCATION OF RESIDENCE AT GOVERNMENT EXPENSE. 
NOTE, AS DEMONSTRATED IN PARA. 4.B. BELOW, A SUBSEQUENT REDUCTION OF 
BAH DUE TO ORDERS RETURNING ONE TO A PREVIOUS PDS DOES NOT CONSTITUTE 
AN INEQUITY.
B. UNFUNDED PCS/PCA MOVE. ORDERS THAT DO NOT AUTHORIZE RELOCATION 
OF ONE'S HOUSEHOLD OR DEPENDENTS. ALSO CALLED A PROXIMITY MOVE. 
4. POLICY
A. UNACCOMPANIED TOUR. 
(1) WHEN ISSUED ORDERS FOR AN UNACCOMPANIED TOUR, BAH IS BASED ON 
EITHER:
(A) THE PREVIOUS PDS (PROVIDED THE MEMBER WAS IN RECEIPT OF BAH),
(B) A LOCATION DESIGNATED BY THE MEMBER AND APPROVED BY MMIA PROVIDED
THE DEPENDENTS HAVE A PRE-EXISTING TIE TO THAT LOCATION, OR
(C) THE PHYSICAL LOCATION OF THE DEPENDENTS NOT TO EXCEED THE BAH 
RATE OF THE PDS IMMEDIATELY PRIOR TO THE NEW PDS. IN SITUATIONS 
WHERE A MEMBER DOES NOT ELECT A DESIGNATED LOCATION BUT MOVES 
DEPENDENTS AT NO COST TO THE GOVERNMENT, THE HOUSING ALLOWANCE 
PAYABLE REFLECTS THE ACTUAL LOCATION OF THE DEPENDENTS.
(2) WHEN SUBSEQUENT PCS ORDERS RETURN A MEMBER FROM OCONUS TO A PDS 
IN A NEIGHBORING MILITARY HOUSING AREA (MHA), RETAINING BAH AT THE 
PREVIOUS CONUS BASED RATE WILL NOT BE AUTHORIZED. LOGIC: ORDERS 
FROM OCONUS TO CONUS ARE FULLY FUNDED AND AUTHORIZE RELOCATION OF 
HOUSEHOLD.
(3) ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS. REQUESTS FOR DESIGNATED LOCATION 
MUST BE ENDORSED BY THE COMMAND, DEMONSTRATE PRE-EXISTING TIES TO 
DESIGNATED LOCATION, AND CONTAIN A COPY OF THE MEMBER'S PCS ORDERS 
DIRECTING UNACCOMPANIED TOUR.
B. UNFUNDED PCS/PCA ORDERS (PROXIMITY MOVE). 
(1) ONCE APPROVED FOR THE PREVIOUS PDS BAH RATE AND THE BAH RATE FOR
THE CURRENT PDS SUBSEQUENTLY INCREASES TO A RATE HIGHER THAN FOR THE 
LOCATION OF THEIR WAIVER, ONE CANNOT SUBMIT A NEW REQUEST TO RECEIVE 
THE HIGHER BAH.
(2) IN CASES WHERE REGULATIONS DO NOT AUTHORIZE RELOCATION OF A 
MEMBER'S RESIDENCE, IT IS THE COMMAND'S RESPONSIBILITY TO FULLY 
JUSTIFY A REQUEST THAT ORDERS BE MODIFIED TO AUTHORIZE A FULLY FUNDED
MOVE. 
(3) ADDITIONAL CLARIFICATION:
(A) CMC (MM) DOES NOT AUTHORIZE RELOCATION OF DEPENDENTS AND 
HOUSEHOLD GOODS. MEMBER MAY REQUEST TO RETAIN THE PREVIOUS DUTY 
STATION BAH RATE. 
(B) MEMBER RETURNS TO A LOW BAH MHA FROM A HIGH BAH MHA. BAH 
ENTITLEMENT RATE PROTECTION DOES NOT APPLY. LOGIC: ALTHOUGH THE 
MEMBER WILL EXPERIENCE A REDUCTION IN BAH, AN INEQUITY DOES NOT EXIST 
AS THE MEMBER'S HOUSING DECISION WAS MADE BASED ON THE LAST PCS MOVE 
THAT AUTHORIZED RELOCATION TO THAT GEOGRAPHIC AREA. EXAMPLE: MARINE 
ASSIGNED TO A PDS AT QUANTICO. THEN, REASSIGNED (RELOCATION NOT 
AUTHORIZED) TO PDS AT THE PENTAGON AND SUBSEQUENTLY RE-ASSIGNED BACK 
TO A PDS AT QUANTICO. ENTITLEMENT WHILE AT EACH PDS IS AS FOLLOWS: 
QUANTICO - QUANTICO RATE (BAH IS BASED ON THE PDS)
PENTAGON - DC RATE (BAH IS BASED ON THE PDS) 
QUANTICO - QUANTICO RATE (BAH IS BASED ON THE PDS)
(C) MEMBER RELOCATES AT OWN EXPENSE FROM A HIGHER BAH MHA TO A LOWER
BAH MHA. BAH RATE PROTECTION DOES NOT APPLY. LOGIC: BAH RATE 
PROTECTION IS NOT INTENDED FOR ONE WHO ESTABLISHES A NEW RESIDENCE 
WHEN NOT SPECIFICALLY AUTHORIZED. RATHER THAN BEING DEPENDENT UPON 
WHETHER THE MEMBER "SAVED" THE GOVERNMENT THE COST OF RELOCATION, BAH 
IS DEPENDENT UPON THE TYPE OF MOVE AUTHORIZED BY THE GOVERNMENT. 
(4) EACH OF THE BELOW CRITERIA MUST BE MET PRIOR TO APPROVAL OF A BAH
AT PREVIOUS PDS WAIVER REQUEST:
(A) ORDERS MUST STATE, "THIS IS A PCS MOVE IN WHICH RELOCATION OF 
DEPENDENTS AND HOUSEHOLD GOODS IS NOT AUTHORIZED."
(B) PCS MOVE MUST BE TO AN ADJACENT MILITARY HOUSING AREA.
(C) ASSUMPTION IS MEMBER INTENDS TO COMMUTE DAILY BETWEEN PREVIOUS 
RESIDENCE AND NEW PDS - NOT INTENDED FOR THE MARINE TO ESTABLISH A 
NEW RESIDENCE AT THE NEW PDS AND CONTINUE TO RECEIVE OLD PDS RATE.
(D) MEMBER MUST HAVE ESTABLISHED HIS/HER HOUSEHOLD WHILE ASSIGNED TO 
THE PREVIOUS PDS.
(E) PCS MOVE MUST BE WITHIN THE U.S.
(5) ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS FOR WAIVER REQUESTS. ALL PACKAGES 
MUST CONTAIN: PREVIOUS PCS ORDERS (SHOWS THE LAST MHA), CURRENT PCS 
ORDERS (IDENTIFIES THE NEW MHA), DATE RESIDENCE ESTABLISHED (MONTH 
AND YEAR), MEMO STATING REASON FOR THE WAIVER REQUEST, MEMBER'S 
"PAGE 3" SHOWING THE LAST 3 PREVIOUS DUTY STATIONS. 
C. PCS ORDERS TO PME/TRAINING (DURATION OF 12 MONTHS OR LESS). 
(1) MARADMIN 216/04 IDENTIFIES CRITERIA AND ADMINISTRATIVE 
REQUIREMENTS. 
(2) THIS POLICY IS NOT APPLICABLE TO PCS ORDERS IN WHICH A MARINE IS 
SENT FROM AN ACCOMPANIED OCONUS TOUR TO CONUS. HOWEVER, IT IS 
APPLICABLE TO PCS ORDERS WHEN THE MARINE WAS ON AN UNACCOMPANIED TOUR 
(AND IN RECEIPT OF BAH).
D. CRITICAL HOUSING AREAS. SECNAVINST 7220.82 AND OPNAV INST 
11101.43 PERTAIN. 
(1) CHA DESIGNATION GIVEN BY CNO (N4) FOR AREAS IN WHICH BOTH 
MILITARY AND COMMUNITY FAMILY HOUSING IS IN SHORT SUPPLY.
(A) RELOCATION OF DEPENDENTS DELAYED BECAUSE OF A CRITICAL HOUSING 
SHORTAGE AS DESIGNATED IN THE PCSO.
(B) OLD PDS RATE MAY BE PAID UNTIL THE DEPENDENTS RELOCATE TO THE 
NEW PDS OR UNTIL 60 DAYS AFTER THE DUTY STATION HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM 
THE LIST OF CRITICAL HOUSING DUTY STATIONS, WHICHEVER OCCURS FIRST. 
(EXCEPTION: THOSE WITHIN 12 MONTHS OF PLANNED ROTATION DATE.)
(2) ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS.
(A) PCS ORDERS MUST STATE THAT AREA IS A CHA AT THE TIME OF TRANSFER
(B) REQUESTS WILL BE SUBMITTED TO CMC (MMIA)
(C) THE CHA REQUEST WILL INCLUDE THE COMMAND'S REQUEST AND A COPY OF 
THE HOUSING LETTER STATING THAT THE MEMBER HAS REQUESTED HOUSING AND 
THAT IT IS NOT AVAILABLE (INCLUDE THE ESTIMATED WAIT TIME).
5. ACTION. THIS POLICY IS EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY. DIRECT WIDEST 
DISSEMINATION OF THIS MESSAGE. CONUS BASED COMMANDS ARE DIRECTED TO 
CONDUCT A DATA QUERY OF MBRS OF THEIR COMMAND WHOSE BAH ZIP IS 
DIFFERENT FROM THEIR PDS ZIP. FORWARD THESE MBRS' "PAGE 3" AND ANY 
APPLICABLE APPROVAL LETTERS TO CMC (MMIA) BY 1 JUL 05. THIS HQTRS 
WILL REVIEW PAGE 3 TO ENSURE COMPLIANCE WITH THE POLICY. MARINES 
WHOSE HOUSING ALLOWANCE WILL BE ADJUSTED TO REFLECT THE RATE 
ASSOCIATED WITH THEIR CURRENT DUTY STATION WILL SEE THIS ADJUSTMENT 
EFFECTIVE 1 AUG 2005. 
A. ADDITIONALLY, ALL MARINES MUST BE ENCOURAGED TO RETAIN PCS/PCA 
ORDERS AND ACCOMPANYING ENDORSEMENTS/WAIVERS AS THESE SERVE AS SOURCE 
DOCUMENTATION FOR PAY ENTITLEMENTS. CREATION OF A MARINE CORPS ORDER 
WILL BE FORTHCOMING. 
6. THIS MESSAGE HAS BEEN COORDINATED WITH MI/RFF/DFAS-KC.