Housing

Family Housing

Family Housing at Corpus Christi is now part of the DoD privatization initiative. Referred to as PPV, which stands for public-private venture, the program is a partnership between the Department of the Navy and a private company. The private company renovates, builds, maintains, and manages family housing. Under PPV, the service member signs a lease and makes monthly payments using BAH, which covers rent and estimated utilities. PPV rents are based on the projected BAH of the service member at the With-Dependent rate, and are targeted to be "zero-out-of-pocket" expense if the service member uses reasonable amounts of utilities.

The South Texas Military Housing PPV project at Corpus Christi was developed by Landmark/Faulkner USA, and RealmGroup is the present management company hired by the PPV partner to oversee day-to-day operations of the property. The project includes a combination of 272 renovated, new-construction and "as-is" units.  Three of the units are reserved for Senior Officer personnel, while the remaining units are available for E1-O5 active duty personnel. Several different floorplans are available, ranging from a 950 sq ft 2-bedroom townhouse to a 1798 sq ft 4-bedroom single family home  Referrals are made by the Navy Housing office based on the service member's family size and paygrade.  

Although housing at NAS Corpus Christi was privatized in 2002, the Navy retained ownership of two Flag Officer quarters. These units are the designated quarters for the Chief of Naval Air Training (CNATRA) and Naval Mine and Antisubmarine Warfare Command (NMAWC) O7 billets.    

The Navy Housing and South Texas Military Housing PPV offices are co-located in Building 3600, at the corner of Dimmit Street and E Street.  

Reporting Requirements -- Once orders are received, arrangements for future housing can begin. The Navy Housing Office can provide you with the most up-to-date information about housing in the Corpus Christi area and assist with the application process for on-base housing. Military personnel scheduled to transfer to this area should contact the local Housing Office prior to signing any lease agreement for community housing.

For additional information and to view housing floor plans, click on the following link.

For those families planning to visit the area on house hunting leave, plan on making the trip at least 30 days in advance of your permanent move. This area is not a Critical Housing Area and rentals and homes for purchase are plentiful and relatively affordable.

Plan your move wisely, and be sure to contact the Housing Office professionals if you have any questions or problems.

Rental Options

Rentals in the community are at 90% occupancy. Island condominiums offer resort-type year-round units on daily, weekly, short and long term rentals. Deposits for some apartments are not required for the military. A majority of the apartments are offering six (6) month leases. One year leases are available upon request.

Rental Options - Off-Base

Off-base rental info is obtained from local sources, including individual property owners, property management companies, and multi-family housing managers who prefer renting to military personnel. The information is organized and maintained in an automated database by the Navy Housing office staff. Military personnel desiring off-base rental housing can identify their preferences as to size, cost and location of rental housing, and a printed list of available properties tailored to those preferences will be provided by the Housing Referral counselor.

Rental costs in the local area are affordable, but utility costs may push the monthly housing cost over the service member's BAH, especially for single-family homes. Deregulation of utilities in Texas has provided the utility customer with more choices of retail electric providers. Information on rates charged by the various REPs can be obtained online, then entering one of the Corpus Christi zip codes (78418 and 78419 are the zip codes for NAS Corpus Christi). 

Standard residential leases in Texas are typically one year in length, while apartment leases are generally for six months.  Make sure you inquire about a military clause in your lease before signing. The military clause, based on the U.S. Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, allows an active-duty service member to terminate their lease under certain situations - receipt of permanent change of station (PCS) orders to depart the area where the rental premises are located or receipt of military orders for deployment in excess of 90 days.  

A common misconception about the military clause is that military personnel can "break" their lease if offered on-base housing - but this is not entirely accurate. A landlord might agree to early termination if the military resident requests it, but is not required by law to do so. And even if early termination of the lease is approved by the landlord, the resident is still required to provide written notice of intent to vacate notice - and could still be held responsible for early termination fees.  

The Texas Apartment Association (TAA) lease commonly used in multi-family (apartment) housing allows the active-duty resident to terminate their lease if the service member is released or relieved from active duty (i.e., retirement, medical separation, etc.). Neither the SCRA nor Texas law contains such a provision, which was incorporated by TAA into their lease many years ago because of their desire to help military personnel and their families. Military personnel signing a standard Real Estate lease (non-TAA) should review the wording related to release of resident very carefully, and ask that wording be included if they anticipate a possible separation from the military during their lease term. The Navy Housing Office can review your lease with you if you have questions or are unclear about your rights and responsibilities.

Military personnel are strongly advised not to rent any property sight-unseen, or to pay an advance or hold a deposit until they have a chance to inspect the unit. Hold deposits may be non-refundable in some cases if the service member changes their mind about renting the unit.

Purchase Options

A home purchase is a viable option in the Corpus Christi area. Current housing availability is very good with average home prices ranging well below the national average. The Navy Housing Office maintains listings of homes for sale provided to us by individual homeowners and real estate professionals. Many real estate professionals maintain websites that advertise their services to the prospective military homebuyer and have a good understanding of the special needs of military families.

Visit InMyArea.com to search for utility providers based on your zip code. This website serves as a one-stop shop where you can explore your options, compare prices and purchase services.

Housing options include a combination of 272 renovated, new-construction and as-is units. Three of the units are reserved for senior officer personnel, while the remaining units are available for E1-O5 active-duty personnel. Several different floorplans are available, ranging from a 950 square-foot, two-bedroom townhouse to a 1798 square-foot, four-bedroom single-family home. Bachelors are allowed to live in base housing, and one of the neighborhoods does not require full Basic Allowance for Housing and rents for a flat market rate.

The Housing Office can be reached at 361-961-3336.