Navy opens base homes to single civilians

[unhappycamper]

The Navy paid some $3.7 million in fiscal 2008 for apartments that sat vacant. Part of the problem might be that sailors moving to the area have the choice of living on or off base. The Navy will now allow single civilians to occupy apartments on Gricignano.


Navy opens base homes to single civilians
By Lisa M. Novak, Stars and Stripes
European edition, Tuesday, November 18, 2008

NAPLES, Italy — The Navy will allow single civilians to live on the Gricignano support site in a move designed in part to combat consistently high vacancy rates at on-base apartments.

The decision was made Nov. 7 by Commander, Naval Installations Command after some single personnel requested to live on base, said Lt. Paul Macapagal, Naval Support Activity Naples spokesman.

That was welcome news for Maria Quitugua, a recent arrival to the base, who works for Naval Facilities Engineering Command Europe and Southwest Asia. In early September, before arriving in Naples, Quitugua wrote the housing office asking to live on base.

She said they told her single civilians were ineligible.

"I wanted to live on base because this is my first time being unaccompanied overseas," Quitugua said. "My husband passed away in 2005, and I felt safer living on base. This came at a really good time."


Rest of article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=58900