FORT CARSON, Colo. — Mark Chamberlain, residential maintenance technician, Balfour Beatty Communities, repairs a gutter at a home in the Cherokee Village neighborhood on post June 9, 2020.

Despite a focus on pandemic response, family housing remains a top priority for the Army, U.S. Army Installation Management Command and Residential Communities Initiative partner companies. All have been busy working together to improve housing while simultaneously fighting COVID-19.

Lt. Gen. Douglas Gabram, the commanding general of IMCOM, hosted a three-day housing summit between Army senior leaders, Residential Communities Initiative partner company executives, and garrison commanders alongside the leader of their local privatized housing provider. The forum was an opportunity for these joint garrison teams to demonstrate their command of the detailed information that will help each be ready to safely and efficiently move 40 thousand Soldiers and Families during the upcoming summer surge of Permanent Change of Station moves.

Commanders and their partners provided intricate details such as the exact number of families PCS’ing and what housing units they will clear, the average time each unit will be empty for repair and cleaning between occupants, and the time each team requires to resolve emergency and routine orders. They also presented strategies to reduce those times as much as possible. At the end of each presentation, the garrison commander and partner assessed their ability to meet the demands of the upcoming summer surge of PCS season.

Army Public Health Center industrial hygiene experts say controlling moisture is a key factor in reducing mold risk. It is important to find the source of any leak or water damage and to make repairs immediately.

“Over these three days we have done a deep dive into 34 privatized housing projects on 44 installations with all seven RCI companies. Everyone briefed as a joint team, validating our conference theme of ‘Move forward together,” said Gabram in his closing comments.

“We’ve been at this a while, and COVID only brought us closer and made us better. We’ve been through tough times together this past year, and our relationships are stronger because of it. The lessons we’ve learned and shared, and the innovations we’ve come up with will help us this summer PCS season and over the long term. Our collaboration at all echelons is unprecedented, as is our level of partnership, teamwork, and trust.”

John Picerne, Founder and CEO of Corvias, said “This is the best, most detailed and most effective communication by the entire team I have seen in 20 years. We will keep at it now that we have crossed the wire and this level of information sharing will provide an outcome of quality housing for Soldiers and Families.”

Chris Williams, President of Balfour Beatty Communities, echoed that sentiment by saying that RCI companies “no longer see ourselves as competitors, but as teammates. This will build consistency and standardize expectations for tenants as they change installations.”

The key takeaways from the summit are: conditions are set for the summer PCS season despite the challenges of our current operating environment; the trust built between the Army and RCI companies at all levels is stronger than ever; and the vast majority of work orders that accrued during the “shelter-in-place” period have been completed.

The main reason for this low backlog has been through leveraging commonly used technology. Garrison housing teams developed virtual methods where tenants use their mobile phone camera to show the work required to a qualified maintenance technician who walks the tenant through the repair. In other cases, techs determine what part is needed and deliver it to the front porch of the housing unit for replacement by the tenant. These and other “self-help” programs allow maintenance technicians to focus on more complicated matters and foster a sense of resident ownership of the property. All agreed these new and efficient procedures will remain as part of our “new normal.”

Gabram and the other leaders acknowledged they “were in the weeds” these three days, but that was by design.

“We are at a very important point,” said Gabram. “Now that we see ourselves clearly and are in command of the details, we can get out of the tactical fight and begin to pull strategic levers where we can really make a difference for our Soldiers and their Families. That said, our work is far from over.”

It was clear from this housing summit that all involved are clearly committed to making such a difference for Soldiers and their Families over the coming months and years.