# Lodging on the base?



## WeaponsLover (13 Jan 2011)

Hi 

I got a question how does it work as far as lodging on the base when your single ? I looked at forces.ca but it only tell price for families. 

I'm wondering about the price and also what type of appartement\room you can get.

Thx you


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## nicolka (13 Jan 2011)

I would assume that it's different for each provice as the cost of living varies province to province


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## MikeL (13 Jan 2011)

Are you looking for information on barracks or PMQs?


 WeaponsLover, seeing as you are single it might take you awhile to get a PMQ, you can either live in Barracks at your first posting and wait untill a PMQ becomes available or get a place off base.  Barracks are pretty cheap, generally with your room and and food(mess hall) its a few hundred($350-500 if I remember right) a month that comes out of your pay. I think what you pay for rent also depends on your rank. It's been awhile since I've lived in shacks, so I'm not 100% on this.

PMQs on base depends on the base you are at, I've only seen a few styles, houses, rowhouses and apartments, not all bases offer the same, ie some may not have apartments.  There also seems to always be a waiting list on them, and as a new Pte who is single you will start at the bottem of the list.  If you search around I'm sure you will be able to find prices fomr the different PMQ styles, etc


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## smale436 (13 Jan 2011)

A little more info for you. Sorry I don't know how to do the quote boxes.

"As for WeaponsLover, seeing as you are single it might take you awhile to get a PMQ"

- Not necessarily. I'm single and applied for one through IRP prior to arriving at my new location. I had to wait about a week in a hotel before it was ready. Depends on whether you apply before you arrive (Priority 1) or if you apply for one after you have been at your new posting for awhile (Priority 2) in which case it could be months.

" Barracks are pretty cheap, generally with your room and and food(mess hall) its a few hundred (350-500)"

- Slightly different now. Depends on the room size and ration plan you have. Now they have made some sort of meal plan mandatory for those in shacks. I used to pay 162 per month at Warrior Block in Shearwater for a single room with common bathroom and was de-linked from rations entirely. Now full rate rations for 3 meals a day x 30 days is about $500. (You can get lower cost options with less meals) Some people in Cold Lake pay $250 for a single room sharing a bath with the adjacent room. Some pay less and have a room with someone else. So full rations and a single room would be closer to $650-750.

"I think what you pay for rent also depends on your rank."

- No it doesn't generally. The higher rank guy may be entitled to a larger or nicer room (suites with kitchenettes for example) and will pay accordingly for it. Same as RHUs. Bigger house = higher rent. I'm a Cpl and pay the same as the Capt next door to me for my RHU.

"As a new Pte who is single you will start at the bottem of the list. "

- Not quite true. I can only speak for Cold Lake. Other bases may have different policies. CFHA's new policy means there is a classification for "Family of 1". There are two priority lists based on date when you apply and type of house you are entitled to. When I applied for my RHU as a single (Private) member through the IRP process I was placed number 3 on the Priority 1 list based on COS date. My single friends arrived the same time as me, moved into shacks for a year, and then applied for an RHU. They were placed on Priority 2 list at number 37 or something and waited nearly a year. (Because they already had a place to live) The ranks and marital statuses of people on the waiting list had no bearing. Keeping in mind that CFHA would not place a family of 5 in the same house they would a single person. Therefore if said family applied a few days after I did with even the same COS date, I would not get bumped off because I'm single. The house I would move into (2BR bungalow) would not have been the one allocated to them.


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## WeaponsLover (13 Jan 2011)

Thx for the information guys 

but its private room?? can you get your own internet/cable/phone connexion and stuff like you will if you rent a room in a civilian room place.

and about the food can you not pay to get your meals and cook your own stuff??


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## MikeL (13 Jan 2011)

WeaponsLover said:
			
		

> Thx for the information guys
> 
> but its private room?? can you get your own internet/cable/phone connexion and stuff like you will if you rent a room in a civilian room place.
> 
> and about the food can you not pay to get your meals and cook your own stuff??



Depends on the style of shacks you are in. Some are private, others you may have a room mate.  Yes you can have cable and internet, etc 

As for food, you are allowed a microwave and fridge(at least in all the shacks I've been in) but you can not have a hot plate, etc in the room and cook.  If the building has a kitchen then you can cook in there.

CDNAIRFORCE - Yea I was off a bit on the R&Q, but it still is pretty cheap IMO.   As for the Accomendation prices yes, the style of room you are in ie a 1 bed/private vs a shared room determines the cost, but I was under the impression your rank also comes into the calculation of the price, I don't have any old pay statements to confirm/deny that though.  As for the getting a PMQ as a Pte, guess it depends on the base and openings, etc.  When I found out I was being posted to my new unit I contacted the CFHA on that new base and asked about PMQs and to get my name on my list, and was told since I'm single I am low priority and would have to wait 4-5+months for a possible opening.  I have some friends off my QL3 from a few years ago who applied for a PMQ as a group of 3 or 4 and they were able to get a PMQ together.


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## Flips13 (13 Jan 2011)

As for my experience in Edmonton i have a family of 3 and if I wanted a PMQ it would take at least a couple years, you go on a list to get on a list. Familys getting transfered from other bases to Edmonton get priority so if you're single in Edmonton. You might as well get yourself a place off base or stay in shacks.


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## smale436 (13 Jan 2011)

I guess I should have reiterated that it could vary base to base. From what I hear Edmonton is one of the worst ones. Though if I was single in Edmonton I would definitely want to be off base near where the action is. I'm just speaking for Cold Lake where there are a lot of empty units and singles have been living in them for many, many years. Which I think is the right thing in my opinion but that argument has been discussed on a different thread. Don't forget there are actually many married couples with and without kids who are in a better position to, and do, live on the economy and on the other side of the coin there are single people who desire a "home" and the RHU's fill that void nicely for them. At least to get a head start on saving up to buy a place. I had a friend here who lived in an RHU and his family got larger via pregnancy and he needed to get into something bigger. Even he waited on the Priority 2 list as there were no larger homes available. The house I live in would be too small for him, but even that was not the case CFHA would not evict single me to free up another unit for him just because he chose to expand his family. And rightly so.


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## smale436 (13 Jan 2011)

"I have some friends off my QL3 from a few years ago who applied for a PMQ as a group of 3 or 4 and they were able to get a PMQ together."

- That is possible and I know people who have done it. But at least where I am, only one person can officially have the house "in their name" and the entire rent comes off his pay. More importantly that person can only apply under "family of one" status. I don't know where they are but what that means here is they won't give your friends a 3 or 4BR because they are not a family of such. The single applicant who pays the housing fees and be on file with CFHA will be only entitled to a 2BR or 3BR 11/2 story. However they arrange their bedrooms is their perogative. (I know people who turned the living room into a 3 computer desk game zone. Apparently it was easier to run LAN cable that way)  :


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## George Wallace (13 Jan 2011)

"I have some friends off my QL3 from a few years ago who applied for a PMQ as a group of 3 or 4 and they were able to get a PMQ together."


Did these guys move into a PMQ or a ESQ?


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## MikeL (13 Jan 2011)

CDNAIRFORCE said:
			
		

> "I have some friends off my QL3 from a few years ago who applied for a PMQ as a group of 3 or 4 and they were able to get a PMQ together."
> 
> - That is possible and I know people who have done it. But at least where I am, only one person can officially have the house "in their name" and the entire rent comes off his pay. More importantly that person can only apply under "family of one" status. I don't know where they are but what that means here is they won't give your friends a 3 or 4BR because they are not a family of such. The single applicant who pays the housing fees and be on file with CFHA will be only entitled to a 2BR or 3BR 11/2 story.



Yea, one person had the house in their names and the others just paid him the rent.  I guess I phrased that wrong in my last post.



			
				George Wallace said:
			
		

> Did these guys move into a PMQ or a ESQ?



ESQ? I haven't heard of that before. I was under the impression all base houses were considered PMQs.  As far as I know it is a PMQ.


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## navymich (13 Jan 2011)

They are actually called RHU's (Residential Housing Units) now.  There is not a requirement to be married to be housed in them, thus the name change.

http://www.cfha-alfc.forces.gc.ca/index-eng.aspx


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## George Wallace (13 Jan 2011)

-Skeletor- said:
			
		

> ESQ? I haven't heard of that before. I was under the impression all base houses were considered PMQs.  As far as I know it is a PMQ.



Enhanced Single Quarters


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## aesop081 (13 Jan 2011)

George Wallace said:
			
		

> Enhanced Single Quarters



Very few bases have those.


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## WonderGirl (13 Jan 2011)

IDo you have to pay rent if you are away at sea for say six months?  can i store my stuff? or how does that work?


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## George Wallace (13 Jan 2011)

WonderGirl said:
			
		

> IDo you have to pay rent if you are away at sea for say six months?  can i store my stuff? or how does that work?



You'll still pay for your Qtrs, but you will be reimbursed for your Rations.  Sure you can store your stuff.  You can store it in your locker(s) in your Qtrs or wherever you want.  If you want to rent a storage facility, you can.


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## WonderGirl (13 Jan 2011)

Thank you George!


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## SK (17 Jan 2011)

Are cable and internet included in the boarding fees? Is it possible living in the barracks to get things like NFL Sunday Ticket package? Doesn't seem likely but just wondering


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## niceasdrhuxtable (17 Jan 2011)

SK said:
			
		

> Are cable and internet included in the boarding fees? Is it possible living in the barracks to get things like NFL Sunday Ticket package? Doesn't seem likely but just wondering



I've never seen them included but it may happen somewhere. Generally, internet and television are your own responsibility.


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