Service Member Housing Relief Act

This bill would make it easier and more permanent for the Defense Department to boost Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) when local rents spike. Right now, a temporary BAH increase can kick in when rental costs jump 20%. The bill lowers that trigger to 15%, so help can arrive sooner during fast rent hikes. It also makes this adjustment authority permanent, instead of something that can expire.

Key points

• Who is affected: Service members who receive BAH (members of the uniformed services).
• What changes: The rent spike threshold for temporary BAH increases drops from 20% to 15%, and the authority to make these adjustments becomes permanent.
• What it means: If enacted, troops could get timely, short-term BAH boosts when local housing costs surge, helping cover rent during sharp increases.