Government Housing

Availability

The availability of Military Family Housing changes daily and may depend on factors such as family size, rank, extensions of individuals' tour lengths, promotions and changes in waiting lists due to changes in the number or age of family members. If you have a family member with special needs, be sure to notate that on the DD 1746 Housing Application to ensure your housing unit and/or area can meet that family member’s special needs.

All newly arriving eligible personnel will be provided a list of units available for immediate assignment, if any, in their respective eligibility category. The selection of a unit must be made from these housing availability lists by the close of the next business day after the list is provided. If no quarters are available in the respective eligibility category, military applicants will be placed on a waitlist and authorized to move off base with full Overseas Housing Allowance. When adequate MFH is refused by eligible uniformed members and/or civilian members required to live on base (Key and Essential personnel), OHA and Living Quarters Allowance, respectively, will be disallowed.

Civilians are not required to participate in the MFH process, and may live off base with housing allowances authorized. Department of Defense civilian employees will normally rely on the local community for their housing needs. MFH assignment for civilians is limited to categories that have less than 90% occupancy and as long as civilian occupancy makes up no more than 10% of reported MFH inventory. No wait lists are maintained for civilians. Personnel with dogs should be aware that two dogs per family are permitted in townhouses and first- and second-floor units in towers.

MFH at Yokosuka and Ikego Hills areas total 2,420 homes and apartments. They differ widely in age, construction and layout.

Attendance at the Newcomers Brief is mandatory in order to receive assistance from the Housing Services Center staff. MFH is either recently constructed modern townhouses and high-rise apartments or quarters built by the Japanese government in 1946-1947 that are structurally sound and have been renovated over the years. Kitchens and bathrooms are small, and closet space is limited.

All MFH units are furnished with household appliances such as a refrigerator, an electric stove, a microwave oven, a washer and dryer and a dishwasher. Accordingly, it is suggested not to bring your own appliances with your household goods. There are no basements, usable attics, garages or carports in MFH. Although government quarters are not luxurious, they provide a comfortable living environment.

Eligibility

1. Military personnel on permanent change of station orders and DOD civilians, including Naval Air Facility employees, on a transportation agreement with accompanying bona fide family members are eligible for MFH. Eligibility does not ensure availability of or assignment to MFH. Bona fide family members must have command-sponsorship approval and reside with the sponsor for nine consecutive months or more per 365-day period. Divorced or legally separated members must also have legal and physical custody of bona fide family members. For the purposes of this instruction, the term “bona fide family member” means:

• A spouse
• An unmarried child (including a stepchild or adopted child that is otherwise a bona fide member of applicant’s family) who is either under 21 years of age; is incapable of self-support because of physical or mental challenges and is, in fact, dependent on the applicant for half of their support; is unmarried under 23 years of age and pursuing a full-time course of education and is dependent on the applicant for half of their support
• A parent (including a stepparent who has stood in loco parentis to the applicant at any time for five consecutive years before the applicant turned 21 years of age) that is listed as a family member on page two of the member’s service record; is command sponsored; is in fact dependent on the applicant for more than half of their support; and actually resides with the applicant for nine months out of a year
• Parents and/or parents-in-law who are ordinarily resident in Japan, if the sponsor provides more than half of their support

2. Military and eligible DOD civilian personnel who become eligible for MFH after their arrival because of a newly acquired command-sponsored family member, who will reside with the sponsor for nine consecutive months or more per 365-day period during the sponsor’s tour, may apply for MFH.

3. When two family members are members of the DOD and have no other bona fide family members, and are not stationed at the same or adjacent installations within the same geographic area (a one-hour commute), they are not eligible for assignment to MFH. They would become eligible for assignment upon official notification of co-location. The exception is when one member is stationed at NAF Atsugi and the active-duty spouse is stationed at Yokosuka, the member may be assigned housing at Ikego (not Yokosuka) or Atsugi, but not both. They may not simultaneously apply for MFH at both installations.

4. An individual serving an accompanied tour who is unmarried, divorced, separated or widowed and is accompanied by bona fide family members with command sponsorship who will reside with the sponsor for nine or more consecutive months per 365-day period during the sponsor’s tour is eligible for MFH. Divorced or separated members must have legal and physical custody of bona fide family members for at least nine consecutive months per 365-day period during the sponsor’s tour. A single parent who requires a live-in child-care provider must submit a written request in accordance with reference to this instruction.

5. Unmarried, pregnant service members will be assigned MFH upon being notified by the HSC of the pregnancy. Should the pregnancy status change after occupancy, the member will be required to vacate MFH and return to Unaccompanied Housing or off-base residency.

6. American Red Cross members in grades ARC 34 or higher and accompanied with bona fide family members having command sponsorship and residing with the sponsor for nine consecutive months or more per 365-day period may be eligible for MFH on a space-available basis only.

Application Procedures

Attend a housing brief for all personnel (military and civilian) that is held Monday-Friday, at 8 a.m. in the Yokosuka Housing Services Center. There is no housing brief on holidays.

Background

Commander Naval Forces Japan and Commander Fleet Activities Yokosuka are committed to improving the quality of life for sailors by providing bachelor housing ashore for afloat unit E-4s (less than four years of service) and below sailors through partnerships with Afloat Commands.

Availability

There are 2,806 berthing spaces available for "fair share" distribution among all afloat units. Fair share distribution is reviewed quarterly.

Eligibility

Each Afloat Command defines specific requirements and assigns their own sailors to allotted spaces. Off-ship berthing spaces are treated as a privilege for outstanding sailors. Common items include:

• No non-judicial punishment or adverse administrative actions within the past 12 months
• Achieved minimum shipboard qualifications (basic damage control, etc.)
• Completed Command Sponsor And Indoctrination Program and financial Counseling
• Minimum of six months in Auxiliary Oiler Replenishment

Application Procedures

For more information on the application procedures for the Homeport Ashore, contact your gaining command.

• DD Form 1746 (application for assignment to housing)
• Permanent change of station orders
• Updated Page 2 (NAVPERS 1070/602: Dependency Application/Record of Emergency Data Form)
• Orders (1614)
• Family Entry Approval
• Transportation agreement (1617)
• Newly married personnel will need proof of marriage and a command sponsorship letter
• Proof of Pregnancy (20-week pregnancy letter from the hospital)

A completed DD Form 1746 can be sent prior to your arrival in Japan; this will not change your control date but will start your housing request process. Proper documentation must be submitted prior to accepting quarters. Call the Commander Fleet Activities Yokosuka Housing Services Center at DSN 315-243-9037 or internationally 011-81-46-816-9037 or visit the Commander Fleet Activities Yokosuka Housing Services Center website.

Other options: Yokosuka has no Public-Private Venture or mobile homes available but housing does offer the Rental Partnership Program. RPP is designed to help military and Department of Defense civilian personnel and their families find affordable, secure, quality off-base rental property. The program is available to anyone entitled to the CFAY housing referral service, which includes a wide variety of DOD personnel and their families. Units meet all CFAY off-base housing acceptability criteria, including hot and cold running water, screens on all windows, sufficient electricity, parking and proximity to Commander Fleet Activities Yokosuka. If you are interested in RPP, contact the CFAY Housing Services Center.