The Pentagon has published criteria for barracks and other unaccompanied housing that require all the military services to meet the same standards for the first time, according to the Defense Department.
The policy makes clear “zero visible mold” is the standard for all unaccompanied housing, and it establishes minimum living space requirements for all junior service members. The new rules also require parking for 70% of all troops lodged in each barracks, mandates that barracks have one washer and two dryers for every 15 service members, and directs that doors entering from a corridor have functional peep holes.
By requiring all the military services to install peep holes on certain doors, the new standards help ensure that all the branches take the same approach on safety issues, said Rob Evans, an Army veteran who runs the Hots & Cots app on which military members post problems with on-base facilities.
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Standardizing the minimum amount of living space that all troops must be afforded is also important, especially for junior enlisted service members who are required to live on base, said Evans, who is part of a Pentagon barracks task force established by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
“You want to have some sort of space for yourself at a minimum, and you know, hey, when my day is done, when I’m done working, I can go to my own space. I can make it my own. I can unwind, relax,” Evans told Task & Purpose. “And knowing that they’re going to have a minimum living space, I think that’s going to be very helpful.”
Evans also noted that the policy spells out that troops will be moved to other living quarters if efforts to fix problems with their barracks fail.
Serious health and safety problems have plagued military barracks for years. A 2023 Government Accountability Office report identified numerous problems with barracks on 10 military installations, ranging from mold to infestations of cockroaches, bed bugs, rodents, and issues with sewage as well as water quality.
Last year, the Navy ordered a service-wide inspection of barracks after Navy Secretary John Phelan was “shocked and dismayed” by the conditions of barracks at Anderson Air Force Base, Guam.
Under the new policy, “urgent” problems, such as mold issues, must be addressed starting within eight hours after a work order is issued, and they need to be solved within seven calendar days. “Emergency” problems, such as plumbing and electrical issues, must be remedied within 24 hours of the work order.
The military departments are required to develop guidance and take other steps to implement the policy, including developing the necessary training and inspection tools.
Created in response to the 2024 National Defense Authorization Act, the new policy applies to both new and existing barracks without exception, and it is meant to replace previous “inconsistent” guidelines among the military branches, a statement from the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Housing says.
To underscore that the standards are mandatory, the policy includes a clause that explicitly says the criteria for design standards cannot be waived, according to the statement, which was provided to Task & Purpose.
“This provision eliminates the possibility of making exceptions, ensuring that the new, uniform requirements are strictly enforced across all unaccompanied housing,” the statement says. “Therefore, if a barracks does not meet these criteria, the service cannot ignore the deficiency and is required to either fix it or relocate the residents.”
