Military families are raising new concerns about mold and moisture issues in base housing in 2025, even as a recent Department of Defense Inspector General audit shows that oversight gaps are still leaving residents vulnerable. While federal inspectors did not see visible mold during their visits, the new findings reveal conditions that can allow mold to grow unnoticed and point to uneven standards across the military services.
Oversight Teams Flag Missed Warning Signs in 2025 Audit
A September 2025 audit of seven Hunt Military Communities installations showed that housing offices lacked the tools and procedures needed to prevent and detect mold. Inspectors found that some windows had been sealed shut at one installation to block access to aging lead-based paint. The sealed windows prevented ventilation and limited the ability to escape during a fire or emergency.
The DoD OIG told Military.com that housing officials also lacked devices to check humidity levels in homes. They were not inspecting attics or crawl spaces, areas where mold can grow without families seeing it. These gaps make it harder for residents and base staff to catch moisture problems before they become serious.
“We did not observe mold or moisture-related issues during our visits, but Military Housing Office staff did not have the proper tools to check humidity levels in the homes.”
The OIG’s comments make clear that the absence of visible mold does not mean conditions are safe. Without proper tools and inspections, moisture problems can develop out of sight.
Past Moisture Problems Still Trouble Families at Some Bases
Even though inspectors did not see active mold, families at two installations told the audit team that they had faced moisture problems in the past. Residents at Randolph Air Force Base and Fort Sam Houston said they had dealt with mold or water intrusion before Hunt Military Communities completed remediation work.
Those accounts line up with what families across the services have said for years. Many report that moisture problems return after repairs, often due to older HVAC systems, roof leaks, or poor ventilation. For some families, mold becomes a recurring issue that affects their health and forces repeated maintenance visits.
Uneven Maintenance Standards Leave Families With Different Levels of Support
One of the most important findings in the 2025 audit was not about individual homes. It was about the system itself. The OIG found that each military service uses its own definitions for life, health, and safety hazards. They also categorize work orders differently. A problem considered urgent at one base might be labeled routine at another.
These differences create a patchwork of standards. Families with similar complaints can wait very different lengths of time for repairs based on where they live and who runs their housing office. Advocates say this inconsistency allows problems to go unchecked and leaves families unsure about what to expect.
“The Military Services are providing disparate levels of service for families residing at different locations.”
For many residents, this inconsistency is one of the most frustrating parts of the privatized housing system.
New Federal Review Targets Mold Hazards Through 2026
In addition to the 2025 audit, the DoD OIG is running a separate evaluation focused entirely on mold hazards in privatized military housing. Announced in late 2024, the review examines how DoD uses its authorities under the Military Housing Privatization Initiative to enforce maintenance standards.
This evaluation will run into 2026. It aims to determine whether housing companies and the military services are identifying and addressing mold concerns early enough. The Pentagon has agreed with the OIG’s recommendations and has begun corrective actions, but the recommendations will stay open until documentation proves that repairs, inspections, and oversight improvements are in place.
Congress has also provided new oversight funding in the FY2026 budget to support these efforts.
Recent Lawsuits and Testing Show Moisture Issues Persist Nationwide
Despite repair programs and federal reviews, families continue to report mold issues in homes across the country. In 2025, several MacDill Air Force Base families filed a lawsuit after discovering what they described as extremely high levels of mold behind walls and inside HVAC systems. The families reported repeated illnesses and said maintenance fixes did not address underlying moisture problems.
Other bases have seen rising work orders related to water intrusion and HVAC failures. In 2024, the Air and Space Forces recorded more than 4,500 mold-related reports in privatized housing. New data for 2025 suggests those numbers could grow, especially at larger or older installations.
Families Turn to New Independent Survey to Track Conditions
To better understand the scope of the problem, Change the Air Foundation launched the Safe Military Housing Survey in October 2025. It is the largest independent effort to gather real-time feedback from military families living in privatized housing.
The survey covers mold, water leaks, pests, air quality, maintenance response times, and overall trust in housing companies. Early responses show that moisture problems and past mold exposure remain common concerns, even at bases not mentioned in the recent audit.
Advocates say the survey gives families a voice in a system where formal complaints often go underreported. Many residents fear using the dispute process or worry that filing complaints could affect their housing options.
What Service Members Should Pay Attention To Moving Forward
The next year will be important for families living in privatized housing. The new OIG evaluation, updated congressional oversight, and the release of survey findings in 2026 could lead to changes in inspections, work order standards, and contractor accountability.
Service members can take several steps to protect themselves:
- Document moisture or mold issues with photos
- Request maintenance through official work order systems
- Ask whether humidity and ventilation checks have been completed
- Follow base guidance on safe remediation and temporary lodging
- Use Military.com housing resources, including the BAH calculator, when weighing on-base and off-base options
Military leaders say safe housing is essential for readiness. Families say they want consistent standards, clear timelines, and reliable fixes that prevent mold and moisture problems from coming back.
Sources
- DoD Office of Inspector General, Audit of Privatized Military Housing Maintenance at Hunt Military Communities (DODIG-2025-154, Sept. 2025)
- DoD OIG, Evaluation of DoD Actions To Address Mold Hazards in Privatized Military Housing (Project No. D2025-DEV0SR-0011.000, announced Nov. 2024)
- Direct comments to Military.com from DoD OIG spokesperson Mollie F. Halpern (2025)
- Change the Air Foundation, Safe Military Housing Survey launch (Oct. 2025)
- Tampa Bay 28 News reporting on MacDill AFB mold lawsuit (June 2025)
