SAN ANTONIO, Texas ─ Lt. Gen. Douglas Gabram, Commanding General of U.S. Army Installation Management Command, participated in a panel of DoD and civilian leaders working together to improve housing for military Families.The panel was convened as part of the Association of Defense Communities' "Installation Innovation Forum 2020" Feb. 10 to 12 in San Antonio. The group explored key issues, both on and off base, that are impacting military housing, as well as current on-the-ground strategies being implemented that will help ensure military families have quality housing.The panelists' comments and questions from the crowd of about 300 business, civic and uniformed leaders from military communities around the nation all focused on working together to improve the quality of life for service members and their Families.When asked if they still had faith in the Military Housing Privatization Initiative of 1996, also known as the Residential Communities Initiative or RCI, all panelists unanimously agreed they did. Each one readily acknowledged, however, there are issues that need to be fixed, and that working together is the best way to be successful.Gabram acknowledged the hard work done by so many over the last 12 months to improve housing for Soldiers and Families. He described the detailed leader emphasis on getting individual problems solved and the positive results it is achieving. However, his intent is to "Get out of the tactical fight so we can pull the strategic levers that will strengthen this program for the long term."John Ehle, president of Hunt Military Communities, said his and other RCI partner companies are developing enhanced communication tools to improve residents' ability to express concerns about their homes faster and more accurately, and to track the progress of maintenance work orders and provide feedback on services received.The panel discussed off-base housing concerns as well, noting that currently, BAH is having difficulty keeping up with price increases off the installations. One panelist mentioned DOD's recent standup of a BAH Task Force to address this issue.Gabram reminded the crowd to not forget about the Housing Support Office on each Army installation. The offices assist Families who live off base in finding safe housing at the most affordable, available rate."Our garrison Family Housing Offices do a great job of advising new arrivals about their options for off-post housing," he said.Garrison Family Housing Offices also advocate for Soldiers and their Families when they engage civilian landlords to settle disputes about deposits or other concerns.Maj. Gen. (RET) Juan Ayala, Director of the Office of Military Affairs, City of San Antonio, and former head of installation management for the U.S. Marine Corps, said the best results to improve housing, both on and off post, occur when uniformed military engage their communities and create partnerships, innovative solutions, and new relationships.