The Department of the Navy is continuing its program to dramatically improve the quality of life of its personnel consistent with the Secretary of the Navy's Priorities for the Future.
The budget supports the needs of both our married and single personnel, focusing on housing needs. The FY 1997 budget adds 248 units to the inventory and replaces and Émodernizes 959 units. áThe request also includes $183.5 million for improvements to existing housing units. Included in this budget is the second year of the Marine Corps' Comprehensive Neighborhood Plans (CNP) Initiative. CNP will be used to provide quality communities to our Marines and their families. Construction of new family housing is proposed in those geographic areas where the housing deficit has the greatest negative impact on the quality of life of our personnel. Recognizing the aging and substandard housing currently in the Department's inventory, a major emphasis has been placed on replacing antiquated and unserviceable housing units. Substantial and prudent major repair and renovation projects in existing housing assets are also proposed for a number of locations. Family Housing Offices will be constructed to provide the full spectrum of services required to meet the needs of today's Navy and Marine Corps families.
Family Housing Operation and Maintenance
The major emphasis in the operation and maintenance account is to increase support for maintenance and repair efforts and professional services in keeping with the "Neighborhoods of Excellence" (NOE) concept. The goal of NOE is to meet the current needs of Navy and Marine Corps families through quality housing and professional housing services. Consistent with NOE goals, expanded and improved world-wide housing referral services are supported in locations to effect the most significantly positive influences on our Sailors and Marines. In response to significant housing problems on Oahu, the FY 1997 budget request for Navy and Marines Corps includes Éfunding for construction and operation of family housing units on the island. In addition to the funding provided for the transfer of Oahu housing, the increase in FY 1996 was due to a one-time allocation of resources to decrease the Marine Corps maintenance backlog.
Bachelor Quarters Construction
The budget provides for the addition of 1,591 bachelor spaces and replacement and modernization of *2,208 spaces. Specifically, the budget reflects construction of 11 BEQ's in CONUS, three in Hawaii, and *two overseas. These construction projects support the new DOD standard of "1+1" (one bedroom and one bathroom/occupant) that provides quality barracks to our enlisted Sailors. The Marine Corps has received a waiver to continue construction of 2-person configured bachelor quarter rooms. All permanent Éparty Marine Corps bachelor quarters in the FY-1997 budget will be constructed to a 2-person room configuration.
The FY 1997 Community Facilities budget includes construction of one additional Child Care Center, five Fitness Centers and one Family Service Center. The MWR budget provides for shipboard physical fitness, sports and recreation and learning resource centers. It also provides for civilian personnel and outsourcing of support for Navy Exchange and other quality-of-life programs and for additional civilian personnel to support new child care facilities in Italy. The request provides an increase of 236 personnel at our existing Family Service and Child Care Centers.
Table 21 summarizes Quality-of-life funding programs.
* Revised March 12, 1996
| Table 21 | |||
| Department of the Navy | |||
| Quality of Life | |||
| (In Millions of Dollars) | |||
| FY 1995 | FY 1996 | FY 1997 | |
| NAVY | |||
| BQ's - Construction | 64.0 | 53.4 | * 168.6 |
| BQ's - Ops/Maintenance | 252.4 | 320.1 | 295.9 |
| Community Facilities | 56.7 | 45.9 | 15.3 |
| Family Housing Construction | 221.7 | 434.8 | 336.8 |
| Family Housing Ops/Maint. | 807.5 | 876.9 | 861.6 |
| Family Service Centers | 36.5 | 36.2 | 37.5 |
| Child Care | 66.1 | 65.4 | 71.3 |
| MWR | 153.2 | 151.6 | 183.6 |
| Continuing Education | 60.5 | 59.2 | 61.6 |
| MARINE CORPS | |||
| BQ's - Construction | 6.5 | 49.9 | 39.6 |
| BQ's - Ops/Maintenance | 44.0 | 91.0 | 61.1 |
| Community Facilities | 8.5 | 7.1 | 10.7 |
| Family Housing Construction | 49.0 | 90.2 | 66.9 |
| Family Housing Ops/Maint. | 125.4 | 171.4 | 152.6 |
| Family Service Centers | 7.5 | 8.9 | 9.6 |
| Child Care | 18.2 | 18.2 | 18.6 |
| MWR | 46.8 | 78.8 | 79.4 |
| Continuing Education | 13.2 | 10.5 | 10.6 |
| Total Department of the Navy | $2,037.1 | $2,569.5 | $2,504.9 |
* Revised March 12, 1996