Fort Hood Family Housing: Revitalization efforts continue in '22

FORT HOOD, Texas - While Fort Hood Family Housing, a Lendlease privatized military housing community, made progress toward the revitalization of family housing here, they have even more planned for 2022 as they continue their $420 million planned community development effort.

“As we continue to progress through our latest community development plan, we are excited for the many changes residents can expect to see throughout the Fort Hood Family Housing communities in 2022,” Chris Albus, project director of FHFH, said.

Some of the major improvements include the construction of junior enlisted homes in Chaffee Village. Crews are currently preparing the land for the new homes, including running water lines and leveling the ground. Vertical construction of the spacious three-bedroom, two bath floorplans is estimated to begin this summer.

“We are incredibly excited to see the continuation of many planned community improvements, to include the start of construction of our newest junior enlisted homes in Chaffee Village and providing modern interior upgrades to more than 1,300 homes,” Albus added.

The interior upgrades include the replacement of interior and exterior doors and trim, fresh two-tone paint, new vinyl plank floors, new lighting fixtures and plumbing fixtures with water conservation benefits. Kitchen upgrades include granite countertops, new cabinets and Energy Star® stainless steel appliances. The homes also include a new heating, ventilation and air conditioning unit, designed for comfort and improved air quality. All 1,300 homes are expected to be complete by 2026.

The community development plan also includes roof replacements in eight communities, exterior paint in four neighborhoods, tree pruning, repaving some roads and installing accessible curb ramps, in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

The large-scale roofing project includes 2,500 homes in Comanche I, Comanche II, Comanche III, Montague Village, Venable Village, Kouma Village, Patton Park and Wainwright Heights communities.

More than 820 homes in Comanche II, Patton Park, Venable Village and Wainwright Heights will receive new exterior paint, with an expected completion in the summer of 2024.

One of the big projects residents requested in a Tenant Housing Satisfaction Survey was to improve curb appeal by trimming trees. The large-scale tree trimming project will enhance safety of the homes on Fort Hood, while also promoting healthy tree growth. The tree trimming project is estimated to be complete in 2023.

Roads in Comanche II, Wainwright Heights and Montague Village are continuing to be repaved. The project, which will impact families in those neighborhoods, is expected to be complete by the end of 2022.

“Due to age and wear of select existing roads within these communities, this is a necessary project that will provide superior contact with vehicle tires for a safer, smoother ride,” Albus said.

Lendlease began installing accessible ramps and driveway entries throughout Venable Village in September. These upgrades will continue throughout the year.

“It is important we continue to work on enhancing our communities to ensure we provide a greater living experience for our service members and families,” Albus said about the improvements. “With the frequent moves that come with military life, we truly want our service members and families to be proud to call Fort Hood Family Housing home. This makes it important that we continue to listen to our residents and make improvements from curb appeal, physical home enhancements, to level of customer service provided to ensure we are meeting the needs of service members today and for years to come.”

Albus applauded the achievements of the Fort Hood Resident Advisory Board, which has also helped the communities by partnering with local organizations to enhance the quality of life on Fort Hood. In December, they held a ribbon cutting ceremony for the Comanche III Community garden, a green space for Soldiers and families to come together and grow fruits and vegetables. FHFH and the RAB partnered with the Directorate of Public Works Environmental Division, the Fort Hood Compost Facility, Dominion Energy and Pike Energy to revitalize the garden.

The FHFH project director said the RAB has also played a vital role in keeping the lines of communication open with the residents and finding out what they want to see improved.

“At the end of the day, FHFH mission is to provide quality communities where service members and families can live, work and thrive,” Albus added. “A community where service members can focus on readiness and accomplishing their mission, and know their families are taken care of on the home front.”