VICENZA, Italy – U.S. Army Garrison Italy’s Villaggio Army Family Housing is in the process of undergoing initial demolition and construction of new dwellings scheduled until January 2026.A budget for Army Family housing projects in Europe recently funded approximately $1.2 billion which are spread over the span of about seven years until 2027, according to Jonathan Winkler, general engineer with the IMCOM-Europe housing division.These projects focus on providing adequate housing for Soldiers and Families including both the renovation of existing housing units and the construction of new ones to better suit the needs of Families, in conjunction with the current Army housing standards.“Our goal is to have an inventory of quality government housing to offer to our deserving Service members,” said Lewis Smith, USAG Italy Housing Division chief.“This is a $360 million outlay and the first phase will begin next year in Villaggio and will also include building 50 homes on Caserma Ederle. Occupancy of the final phase is projected for January 2026 and our number of government-owned housing will increase from 249 to 478. All housing in Villaggio will be demolished and replaced in four phases,” explained Smith.New dwellings will adhere to current master planning criteria including appropriate room and square footage per family size to meet current Army construction standards and will use land more efficiently.According to Smith, the projects also include refreshing inventory of government leased quarters and terminating older properties and those with maintenance issues.“We have requested additional leases to have more available government housing during the demolition of Villaggio, and to replace any leases terminated,” he added.Working with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and host nation construction officials will lead to widespread progress for Family housing areas within a few years.