CFHA Residential Housing Unit (RHU)-old PMQ [MERGED]

[CdnArtyWife]

When I did my 3's (6 months) I've been allowed to move my family and get a Q. 6 months is the minimum to move your next of kin-kids. After the course, I got posted to the same base ,so I stayed at the same spot.

SLT may be an (up to) 8 month course, but it is not considered a post, therefore does not qualify for the move at public expense.

 

[zein]

Hello all,

Many thanks for your feedback. In fact I just found a place in Montreal  and it's far from St Jean by almost 50KM . Hopefully this will give me an access to get in touch with my family. I understand BOTC requires  spending a lot of time  studying/preparing  for the course (to succeed).So  if I moved to the Montreal region do  they still waiving the quarter renting fee?

 

[Zoomie]

If you secure accomodations in Montreal you will only be going there on weekends while on SLT.  The School Commandant has final say if you wish to live off base while attending second language training.  He/she may allow this if you decide to rent in town - I highly doubt that he will allow you to live in Montreal (it is quite some distance away).  Take CdnArtyWife's advice and get a rental unit in St-Jean - some come partially furnished and are right beside the Mega.  Do not take any furniture or anything that cannot fit in your own personal vehicle.

 

[zein]

Zoomie,

SO you advise me to take a base residence during SLT? If so do I have to apply in advance i.e. once Im taking the BOTC or right after finishing the course.And may I ask how would I apply for such a residence? Also does the SLT starts right after the BOTC or there's a waiting period.THANKS..

 

[CdnArtyWife]

As your BOTP is winding down, you can pop into the accomodations office in the mega and arrange for a new room. You will likely be going with a bunch of guys from your course...you guys can ask to be put in the same pod if you are all buddies....You will likely be in the blue sector (if I remember correctly) during SLT.

I advise you to get the room. If you decide later to move your family up, you can probably keep the room you are assigned and then it can act as a home base for after class/before PT or when you are just too inebriated from TGIT with the boys to make it home. My hubby kept his room, which proved usefull for the times when I would pop into the mega to do laundry and take advantage of the gym myself...hubby would hang in his pod with the baby while I worked out and vise versa.

There are some apartments in town with Fridge and Stove incl. that is what we got...we were not in the best part of town, but we were lucky enough to have a very understanding Super who was bilingual and allowed us to sign a six month lease. Since I moved up to SJ two months into SLT, this was ideal. Like I said, it was an adventure...but I have grown so much for it.

I know of others that signed a six month lease as well....when you apartment hunt, mention your situation to the Superintendant/Landlord....they may be able to accomodate you.....because most leases in Quebec start July 1 so if a place is vacant, they would rather have someone in it for a short time than have it empty for a long time.

Good luck.

 

[zein]

Hi,

Many thanks for your feedback. In fact I got a place in Mount Royal, in suburban Montreal and Im still negotiating with the land lord the possibility to take the lease for 6 months. I hope he will agree and later during the SLT I may be lucky to find my own accomodation.

 

[missNickers]

A little off topic, but you mentioned single and family housing.  If we apply for common law after my mans done his training, will we be able to have our own place while he's doing SQ???  Or will he half to live on base??? Thanx, niki

 

[axeman]

common law by the CF definition as opposed to the civilian definition is 1 yr  vs 6 months

 

[beach_bum]

A little off topic, but you mentioned single and family housing.   If we apply for common law after my mans done his training, will we be able to have our own place while he's doing SQ???   Or will he half to live on base??? Thanx, niki

How can you apply for common law after he is done his training?  They will not count the time he is gone as part of that year.  If you haven't lived together for a year prior to his enrolment, you are not common law as far as the military is concerned.

 

[D-n-A]

A little off topic, but you mentioned single and family housing.   If we apply for common law after my mans done his training, will we be able to have our own place while he's doing SQ???   Or will he half to live on base??? Thanx, niki

When's on course, he's going to be living in the shacks with all the other people on the course. I don't think your be able to get a PMC untill he's trained and at whatever unit he's going to.

 

[GrahamD]

Actually the guy we talked to at the recruiting center told us that technically he still resides here with me, and that it would count for part of the year to get common law status..

 

[CdnArtyWife]

Actually the guy we talked to at the recruiting center told us that technically he still resides here with me, and that it would count for part of the year to get common law status..

I believe that to be true, as long as both your names are on the lease...that would be the document to prove co-habitation.

 

[Sergeant295]

So are the married quarters only accessable to married and common law partners?  What is the procedure for long time girlfriends and boyfriends?

 

[George Wallace]

Depending on availability, some Bases allow single personnel to move into PMQs.  Not all have this policy.  Usually young single soldiers will find apartments or houses off Base.  Senior NCOs and Officers are luckier, as singles they are more likely to be permitted to move into PMQs, in many cases they are divorced.  Single parents are also given preferential treatment.

 

[Sergeant295]

So what kind of availability do you see in say a base like Petawawa? What kind of wait does a soldier there contend with?

 

[George Wallace]

So what kind of availability do you see in say a base like Petawawa? What kind of wait does a soldier there contend with?

I had single Troopers in my Troop getting into PMQs in Pet.   The wait wasn't too long.   Pet has quite a variety of Quarters, all in different price ranges for Rent.   In the "Home Front" Threads there are a lot dealing with housing.
http://forums.army.ca/forums/index.php?board=49.0

 

[Celer et Fortis]

Don't get me started!

Although I love where my PMQ is, the neighbourhood, the safety, heck, even the layout, I can't STAND dealing with CFHA. I just went two weeks without heat because no one could be bothered to help out a silly little military wife. Funny, but as soon as my husband's sergeant got involved, miraculously the part that was apparently on order for two weeks miraculously appeared, and the problem was fixed in less than 24 hours.

Huh. Once again, I suppose it comes down to who you know, eh?

 

[NavyGirl280]

I currently live in a PMQ. Our rent is currently $698 and going up to $725 before too long. We have a large 3 bedroom single home that had an addition added to it last summer. Currently they are renovating 3 in my area to become like mine. I have been in some of the older ones and most need to be redone. I have been in some duplex's are I don't consider fit to live in. You have to question what is being done (or lack of when they build these places) that when someone vacates a home, a truck with the words "Mold Removal" comes barrelling down the road at 8 am. We have been in here for 3 months now and we are still waiting for them to come finish laying our sod from the previous tenants who lived here. My deck would be considered "unsafe" by most as the cement pillar that holds it up was hit with an excavator when they were building the addition on and therefore the pillar is unlevel. My ceiling needs to be repaired after my upstairs bathroom flooded and the ceiling became ruined from the water that escaped into the floor Joice's. All in all, I am glad I only rent this place as I wouldn't want to be the one forking over the money to have all this repaired. As long as I'm not paying for it, I don't mind hounding them 24-7 until something is done about it. I do agree ... a mortgage is much cheaper in the long run but we don't want to buy a home, only for 6 months down the road for them to tell us we're being posted someplace else. Someday we'll buy a home and someday we'll be glad that this was a live and learn experience as is anything with the life of the military

S.Bradbury

 

[George Wallace]

...... I do agree ... a mortgage is much cheaper in the long run but we don't want to buy a home, only for 6 months down the road for them to tell us we're being posted someplace else. Someday we'll buy a home and someday we'll be glad that this was a live and learn experience as is anything with the life of the military

I think you should reconsider those statements.   The best advice I got when I joined was to buy a house on every posting I got and in the end I would own a house.   If you put it off now, and next time, and the time after that; then you will find yourselves at the end of your military career looking for a home and have no money in the Bank to buy it.  

DND will cover your legal and moving fees.   Take advantage of that.   I have lived in PMQs in Gagetown and was forced to buy in Kingston due to the two year waiting list for a PMQ.   When I was posted to Petawawa, I again bought a house five minutes from work and when I retired fourteen years later I paid off my mortgage and own my new house in Ottawa outright.  

Price houses.   There is no way you will save that $200,000 plus to buy a house after the military by using a Savings/Chequing account.   You will have to bite the bullet and get a mortgage now and in fifteen to twenty years it will be paid off and you will be much better off financially.

 

[NCRCrow]

George you are so absolutely right.

I regret not porting my mortgage after being posted to Ottawa and wasting three years in 1200 a month PMQ.

Luckily back in HFX and paying into a mortagage again.

It's odd that CANEX will give u 5000 dollars interest free for TV/furniture but the military won't do the same for a down payment.