WASHINGTON, D.C. –  Today, Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) attended a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing and discussed issues military families are facing with on-base military housing. Last week, Senator Tillis toured homes on Fort Bragg with Secretary of the Army Mark Esper and participated in a listening session with military families.

Watch Senator Tillis’ full comments HERE.

Tillis on touring military housing at Ft. Bragg:

“I want to thank Secretary Esper for coming down to Fort Bragg with me last Friday and touring houses that are in unacceptable housing conditions. I am not going to place blame on any one link in the chain, the housing providers are at fault, the command is at fault, the Department is at fault, and Congress is at fault for taking their eye off this ball. If you are in North Carolina and living in military housing with unacceptable conditions and have not gotten the right reaction from your command, call my office and I guarantee it will move to the top of the pile.”

Tillis on housing providers issuing NDAs to military families:

“It’s been brought to my attention that some housing providers go to young people in the military and urge them to sign a non-disclosure agreement in exchange for a bonus or payment if they don’t bring up housing issues. I want a commitment to rescind every one that has been signed. If this is a widespread practice among the housing providers, they better have a good reason for having someone sign it. I have been a landlord before and it makes no sense to me why I would have someone sign away their right to live in adequate living conditions. If any of these NDAs are being enforced, I want them rescinded in the next 30 days, and if one of the housing providers refuse, I want them to come to me and explain why it makes sense and why it is for the good of the tenant.” 

Tillis on making this issue a top priority:

“All the commanders have responded in the way I have expected because of the great leaders you are. I can’t imagine any of you would have knowingly allowed this to happen and persist, but now I expect each of you to be at the tip of the spear to fix it. I hope everyone in command is in touch with the folks they are supposed to take care and applaud people who come forward in these communities and saying this is wrong. This is something that is not going away, we are going to have meetings and as many hearings as we can and I want to see meaningful progress.”  

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