🏠 Rep. Jimmy Patronis filed the HOMEFRONT Act to modernize military housing and eliminate bureaucratic hurdles.
🛑 The bill bans nondisclosure agreements that have kept military families from reporting unsafe conditions.
💵 Supporters say the measure would cut costs tied to historic preservation rules, freeing resources for pay and readiness.
CRESTVIEW — Congressman Jimmy Patronis (R-FL) introduced new legislation Tuesday aimed at cutting red tape and improving the quality of military housing for service members and their families.
The bill, titled the Housing Our Military Effectively For Readiness, Operations, and Neutralization of Threats Act of 2025 — or the HOMEFRONT Act — would give the Department of Defense greater flexibility to modernize housing, waive certain historic preservation requirements, and protect military families from restrictive nondisclosure agreements (NDAs).
Patronis said the measure addresses two pressing problems: outdated facilities and NDAs that prevent families from reporting poor living conditions.
“Our heroes in uniform and their families deserve modern, safe, and dignified housing without bureaucratic hurdles or agreements silencing their concerns,” Patronis said in a statement. “Just because a facility is old, does not make it historic. So why would we be wasting taxpayer money instead of supporting our troops on things like pay raises and equipment?”
Exempts military family and unaccompanied housing from the National Historic Preservation Act, subject to the Secretary of Defense’s discretion.
Prohibits the use of NDAs in housing agreements that have limited troops’ ability to speak out about unsafe or inadequate conditions.
Provides the Secretary of Defense with more authority to address substandard military housing.
The Department of Defense has spent nearly $28 billion since the mid-1990s on privatized housing after finding that two-thirds of its 180,000 domestic units were in poor condition or needed replacement. Yet, Patronis said, requirements tied to historic preservation have slowed repairs and inflated costs.
Under current law, once a property is deemed eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places, the DOD must treat it as if it were formally listed — even if that designation creates obstacles to modernization.
The result, Patronis argued, is that families may be stuck in aging homes containing asbestos, lead paint, or other unsafe materials. A third of Army homes are more than 50 years old, and updating just 10,000 of them under historic standards would have cost more than $820 million, according to House figures.
Patronis said the HOMEFRONT Act would cut “wasteful spending” and focus resources on pay raises, modern equipment, and livable homes. “President Trump is making our military strong again, and I believe that effort should include providing service members the legal right to refuse nondisclosure agreements and ensure their families have adequate housing,” he said.
The legislation has been filed as H.R. 5035 and awaits consideration in committee.
Pro Communi Bono
St. Francis De Sales, Ora Pro Nobis!
Register or login with Mid Bay News and never get another pop up on our site!
