This has been a very fun thread. I've watched the back and forth from the comfort of my apartment building's hot tub on this fine 55 degree day near Washington, D.C.
First, as other have said, BAH is an allowance, not pay. I understand many service members use it for more than just housing, I sure did, but at the end of the day, that's what it's for… housing.
I came to Washington, D.C., in 2008. The BAH at the time was, rounded up a bit, $2,000 a month. I found a nice one bedroom apartment in Old Town Alexandria, a half a mile or so from the King Street Metro station, for $1,250 a month. I was able to pocket $750 a month, of non taxed "pay". Obviously, over a year that adds up. Over three years it really adds up. Eventually I moved to a similar unit, again in old town, for $1,200 a month.
After I left the Coast Guard I found a three bed, one and 1/2 bath townhouse one street over. It was probably 1,800-2,000 sq. ft., for $2,000. I could have split the place with two other guys and we could have pocketed $4,000 a MONTH, all non taxed. That would have sounded pretty good. We were be better off. But, is that what this housing allowance is really for? Is it really so I can pocket thousands of dollars a year, all of which isn't taxed?
I don't think so. Doesn't mean it wasn't nice, or it wasn't helpful. It doesn't mean I wasn't able to throw my money around a bit. But I'm not sure if the Coast Guard, or the nation as a whole was better off for it.
I rent a $1,600 a month apartment now, just off the Blue Line in Alexandria. The apartment complex has a shuttle to the Metro, a big pool, a hot tub, a pub, a gym, a basketball court, a movie theater, grills and even a dog washing station. If I wanted two bedroom, it would be closer to $1,800, a three bedroom, maybe $2,000-$2,200. Still, no where near the $4,000 a two-mil couple would get in D.C. In fact, you'll get a whole lot of house for $4,000 a month, even in D.C.
Now, as we know, members of the military don't think of BAH that way. They see it as an add-on. "I'm moving from Mobile, AL, to Washington, DC….. bring on the big $$" or even better… San Fran. But that's NOT what it's for. I can't remember the last shipmate I had who exceeded his BAH…. not here, not anywhere else.
And we don't want to make the argument "what about all of the other dumb pay in the military" because, yes, you are correct…. the military REALLY wastes money.
If I pulled into Port au Prince, Haiti on Dec. 31, I, and my 70 other shipmates would receive $150 (I think) for hazard pay. We could only get that once a month. If we pulled in a day later, Jan. 1, we would again get $150. But why? We didn't sink. If we hadn't received that pay, we STILL would have pulled in to port to repatriate Haitian migrants. No one jointed the Coast Guard for that extra $150 a month (when it happens).
I don't think married members should receive less than individuals rooming together, but I'm not sure how you'd enforce that. Maybe you do it like this….
For a geographic location the military will pay up to certain amount, maybe in D.C. that's $1,600. Anything over that amount you're responsible for. If you're under that amount, the military will pay up to the monthly rental rate. That means you'd have to go through the military to pay for it (provide the lease agreement to your command). In the end it will mean the service member is getting what the BAH is paying for, and there will be less waste. That's not "$1,600 per person," that's "per lease agreement." A married couple, with dependents can have up to 50% more, so $2,400 a month.
Some will say "just give them higher pay" but that will ignore the other issue….. the military's horrible retirement system, and unlike allowances, pay is used to determine retirement checks.
