MARINE CORPS AIR STATION MIRAMAR, Calif. -- Editor's note: Today, there are more Marine family members than there are active duty Marines. Former Secretary of Defense William Perry said, "Our people in uniform are walking investments. If we lose them, we've lost a valuable asset and hurt readiness in a very fundamental way. The main factor in retention is quality of life, not only for troops, but also their families."  He went on to assert that housing is fundamental to quality of life. Military housing poses a unique challenge in the San Diego area. The following is the second in a series of articles highlighting the dynamic housing situation here. This story focuses on finding a place to rent in San Diego. Next week's article will conclude the series spotlighting the many programs available to help Miramar Marines become homeowners.

Finding a place to rent in San Diego is much like going to a proctologist. You'll probably have to deal with an agonizing wait, and then go away feeling frustrated, uncomfortable and surprised at how much they charge for it.

Because of the very low vacancy rate -- which is less than 1 percent -- and the long wait for military housing -- which is an average of 18 months -- the Department of the Navy has declared San Diego a critical housing area.

With a Basic Allowance for Housing that is designed to cover only 80 percent of housing costs and the high cost of renting, servicemembers may find themselves looking at a Gordian knot.   The Department of Defense has made it a goal to bring the BAH up to 100 percent of housing costs, but not for another five years. 

But you won't have to wait that long for help.  Those looking for a place to rent are already armed with the solution. The San Diego Military Family Housing Office is an arsenal of personnel and resources whose sole mission is to help military families find a home in the San Diego area.

"We want them to come here before they go anywhere else," said Linda McGinn, director of the Personnel Support Division at the Military Family Housing Office of San Diego. "We can sit them down with a specialist that knows about the different area's schools and crime rates and that can really cater to their needs."

The counselors at the housing office don't have any easy job. Beside the difficulties associated with renting in San Diego, they often have to deal with aggravated and disappointed families. "My counselors are truly that. They get a lot of people who are frustrated with how much rent, childcare and electricity are here," Steven R. Finch, supervisor of the Assignment and Referral Branch at the housing office, said of incoming servicemembers' first reaction to the local area's high cost of living. "People get frustrated, and we try to deal with them the best we can."

Finch's staff of more than 30 assignment referral counselors and field representatives are equipped with more than compassion when it comes to succeeding in their mission of helping military families find a home.

They have a massive database of rentals in the area, and two programs -- the Rental Partnership Program and Security Deposit Guarantee -- that can save Marines and sailors some of their hard-earned greenbacks.

The Rental Partnership Program brings military renters and local landlords together in a win-win situation. If military members rent from participating property-owners, they don't have to put down a deposit or pay for a credit check, and they get 5 percent deducted from their monthly rent.

All they have to do is agree to pay the rent by electronic funds transfer. Landlords will do it because it guarantees them timely rent payments, sends a cadre of customers their way and the Navy agrees to mediate any disagreements between the leaser and lessee. 

"It is a great program," said McGinn. "There were only 500 participating families when I first came here a year ago, now there's more than a 1,000. And that's expanding rapidly as we get the word out."
The program has more than 13,000 participating units spread across San Diego County.

If a family can't find a home that fits their needs in the RPP, then the housing office has one other program that can help with finances. The Security Deposit Guarantee uses funds granted by the Office of the Secretary of Defense to loan E-5s and below money to pay deposits. The loan is repayable over 12 months at zero interest.

In addition to the RPP and the SDG, one of the most important things the counselors at the housing office bring to the table is their expertise. Rhonda Brown has been an assignment referral counselor in the housing office for seven years. She says she sends the great majority of her clients home satisfied. But that small percentage of people that incur the most problems do so because of their pre-existing personal challenges, she said.

According to Brown the most common problems that make it hard for families to find suitable housing are: a lack of funds, bad credit, no transportation or families too large to support on  limited military pay.

Although a demanding job, Brown says she sticks to it because she loves helping people. "It's very rewarding when you meet someone in a difficult situation and then you help them and send them away happy," she said. Her three tips for families looking to rent are; "don't be in a hurry to rent the first thing you see; use our resources; and let us help you."

Another service the housing office offers to help out families is a childcare center for parents when they come in. They welcome children from two to 12 years old. Parents are given pagers and the freedom to concentrate on finding the right home for their families.

Once you have rented a place, now you have some time to think about the next step in the housing process -- buying a home. The housing office is there to help again. Look for next week's Flight Jacket for all the programs they offer to help you become a homeowner.

More information on the San Diego Military Housing Office, and the plethora of programs it runs for your benefit, can be found on the Internet at http://www.mfhsd. navy.mil.

You can also call the main office on Naval Station San Diego at (619) 556-8443 or the Miramar Housing Office at (858) 577-1121.