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

[Springroll]

When we were first living in the Q's in '99 we were only paying $411 for a 3 bdrm duplex on a good size lot..and that was in Victoria

 

[Shadow Cat]

Yeah they do that fair market value for the price of rent now.  When my husband was thinking of going Navy we decided against it becuase of the possisbility of ending up in BC.  We want to be able to purchase a home and we just wouldn't be able to afford to purchase a home there, or should I say a decent home.

 

[Scoobie Newbie]

Shadow Cat I think you mean where SHE is living.

 

[sigtech]

Depending where you are PMQ's are not worth it, my morgage is only $150 more then my PMQ rent was and I am sure I will save that in heating costs. Ontop of that no mildew and mold spores coming from a crawl space.
The PMQ's in Kingston are in horable shape and have no insilation in them at all. So with mildew and mold no basement i was paying 810 a mounth not including heating costs so in Kingston the PMQ's are not worth it.

 

[tourwife]

Ok thanks for all the info guys, if anybody has anything to add to it, please do. Thanks again!

For comparison for ya.  I'm living in Griesbach, the old military base in Edmonton.  I'm living in a 3 bdrm attached house, (2 bdrm, if ya want a dining room), small kitchen, but nice yard for $700.00/mth, (this is the current discounted military rate since being sold) plus my utilities which add up to $225.00,mth.  My friend who actually lives on base, has a 4 bedroom attached house, living room is almost twice my size, and she's got a seperate dining room, and a bigger kitchen, and she will be paying the same price as me come November.  Her yard is smaller, but that's the only crappy difference.  Her insurance has also gone down, because she is no longer within city limits.  Just a thought

 

[caper861]

Today I sat here and read everyone of the statements that have been wrote.  I have to say that in my personal experience I have only seen one or two PM Q's that were worth living in.  I lived in Borden, On for 3 years and our PMQ was ok except for the front window which everytime you cleaned it it would move out of its holding.  When we first moved there our total rent and utilities was $385.00 with a heat cost of $200-300 in the winter and lights $150-200 a month.  By the time we left our rent was $850.00 with utilities and our heat and lights stayed the same.  It took us another year to pay off our bills.  I do have to say that CFHA there were always good to us in regards to repairs.  Then my family moved to our present posting, Wainwright, our rent and utilities are about $500.00 a month with heat included.  The costs of food and basic necessary goods are double the price in Edmonton or Lloydminster and we receive no PLD.  Our lights are at a good cost and I know I will never live in another Q this size again.  The problem I have is that CFHA here does not give a shi* about us living in these homes.  I moved in and had to get someone to come and hook up all of our water pipes including the toilet, which was not even bolted down, and this took them 3 months.  I have paint coming off the walls in strips and the worst is in my 3 year old's room.  At first I thought he was picking off the paint until I noticed the roof, and he can't get there.  When I called to have someone come fix this, it took 2 months and the problem is still not solved.  To top it all off I was told that we will be held responsible for this damage when we leave.  Then for 8 months we lived in our Q with 6 types of toxic mold and 2 non-harmful types. When I asked to get a new Q I was told to move into town or wait till the work was done.  I am not even going to get into the amount of health problems my family has had since we moved here since that is another topic altogether.  I have leaking pipes, toxic mold, human shi* in the walls, windows leading and falling out, paint peeling off the walls and a few other problems.  I live in Q's since my family is on the other side of the country and I have physical disabilities as well as 1.5 children.  I like the idea of being close to a military family whether my husband is here or away as well as the idea that if something does go wrong with our home I have no worries.  Yes, to live in Q's is my choice.  I also understand that these places are old and there will be problems but all I want is for CFHA to come and fix them and to charge reasonbile rents around the country.  I am retired from the military due to an accident but it is nice for my husband to be able to walk to work, have people living around me who know my lifestyle and a family away from family.  Sorry for the rant but at the sametime thank's for army.ca to letting me.

 

[George Wallace]

Some answers to what CFHA offers in the way of DND Housing can be located at their site:

http://www.cfha-alfc.forces.gc.ca/info/index_e.asp

Specific Base Locations can be searched here:

http://www.cfha-alfc.forces.gc.ca/info/housingloc_e.asp

 

[Sergeant295]

Hey all,

I was just curious about what kind of base housing is available up there in the Canadian Army? Meaning both for the single soldier and for one with a family. Do single members have their own units, or are they put into barracks? For those with a family how is the condition of the housing? How large are the units?

What kind of deductions do you see from your pay in exchange for the housing? Generally how do you find the quality of life for the families of Canadian Forces Members?

Just curious.  Thanks to all who respond.

 

[axeman]

single personel are housed in barracks usually 1 or more to a room untill you pass your trades training then you may move off base into rental houseing  or own your own .. if your married / have kids an exception may be made and you may  "may" be allowed to get a pmq [permanent married  quarter]  prices vary as to which base your on ...

 

[Greywolf]

It's slightly different on each base.  Single people can get their own rooms and share the bathroom with 3 others or more.  Room size varies too depending on the building.  Generally it's just a room with a bed, a desk, some closet space.  But then of course a sergeant will have a bigger room, nicer furniture, larger bed...than a private.  The deductions depend on your rank and basically on your salary because the higher your rank is, the higher your salary, the more you get deducted for quarters. 

 

[AmmoTech90]

The deductions depend on your rank and basically on your salary because the higher your rank is, the higher your salary, the more you get deducted for quarters. 

That is not completely correct.  See this link for costs: http://www.forces.gc.ca/dgcb/dcba/engraph/sq_table_e.asp?sidesection=2&sidecat=7
It varies on the facilities provided and the condition of the barracks.  Privates will get a 50% deduction, everyone else pays full.  In Wainwright the JRs actually had the best rooms when I was posted there.  Once you had been in shacks for a year living in a D5 (Single room, washbasin, shared bathroom) you could upgrade to a G5 (Single room, sitting room, private bathroom).  According to the chart these are for Maj/Col, but there were so few guys in shacks they merged rooms.  Unfortunately these are now gone apparently.

In Gagetown there are PMQs that have been converted to ESQ (Enhanced Single Quarters) that are shared between two to four guys.  Its a row house and the rent is shared.  There is very little commonality between bases as far as SQs go, they vary from adequate to excellent.  Possibly the worst I have seen is also in Gagetown.  Dingy run down corridors, dirty walls, bare rooms with old steel frame beds and two or four people to a room (think they are trying to keep it to two now).  And this is for troops posted there, not on course.

 

[zein]

single personel are housed in barracks usually 1 or more to a room untill you pass your trades training then you may move off base into rental houseing   or own your own .. if your married / have kids an exception may be made and you may   "may" be allowed to get a pmq [permanent married   quarter]    prices vary as to which base your on ...

Hi,

I will start my training in Quebec-St Jean in January 2006. I'm married and expecting a baby in February. Do you think I can apply for a married housing in St Jean or I have to wait until I pass my course. I will take a BOTC course. If I can't take a Base Housing is ther any other resources that may assist me in finding a place in the St Jean area. The reason Im asking is that after finishing my BOTC I have to take a French language for 8 months and it will be hard for me to stay away from my family especially with a new born baby.
I do appreciate any feed back on this . THANKS.

 

[reccecrewman]

Personally, I've never heard of someone on their Basic being allowed to bring their family along and put them up in a Q.  I could be wrong, but I have never heard of it.  You're only there for such a short time before being sent to another Base, it's pretty impractical (and costly) for the CF to pay out alot of coin to move your family there. Just wait out buds, one of the forum elders will be along shortly and can give you a concrete answer on this.

 

[reccecrewman]

Oh ya, the baby thing you mentioned................... Well, I hate to break it to you, but that really wouldn't have an impact on being allowed to bring your family along.  Your best bet is to make sure she stays near (or with) some close family members so she won't be alone during the last weeks of pregnancy.  I have seen many instances, particularly on my Battle School 4 years ago. One of the guys on my course had his wife back in Ontario (we were in Wainwright) and she gave birth around week 8 of our course.  The course WO gathered the guys on a parade, and announced that Tpr.___________ was the father of a baby (cant remember boy or girl) gave the length & weight and dismissed us.  So, be prepared for that to happen to you. It does suck, but it's part of the CF.

 

[Island Ryhno]

I believe you may request to move your family once you are in SLT, it will most likely not happen in basic. My brother couldn't get his family moved to St.Jean for SLT, it's not technically considered a posting. You need a special request to make it happen. Unreasonable circumstances (lenght or time away from family is unreasonable for example) can make it happen, I hear. I'm sure that there are SME's on here though.

 

[George Wallace]

Now, think of how expensive it be will for the Government to move your family down to St Jean or Borden while you do your Basic?  How expensive will it be for you to move them back, at your own expense, if you quite or fail Basic after a week or two?  Now do any of the answers given make any sense?

 

[axeman]

i trhink personel may have misunderstood what i said . what i ment to stat is once you are done st jean and have moved on you may be allowed to get a q , this is done in very rare cases ie single parent families or if a member of the family has special needs ie medical. these are generally brought up to the school commander or his senior.. ive  just remustered and after 10 yrs with the Patricia's i still wasnt allowed to have my family move with my while i was doing my newest batch of 3's .... dont forget once you finish your 3's theres generally another move ahead of you and in the military to your first posting ...

 

[honestyrules]

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.

 

[soon_to_be_army_05]

By the way..there are no q's in st-jean,they r in St-Hubert.

 

[CdnArtyWife]

Hi,

I will start my training in Quebec-St Jean in January 2006. I'm married and expecting a baby in February. Do you think I can apply for a married housing in St Jean or I have to wait until I pass my course. I will take a BOTC course. If I can't take a Base Housing is ther any other resources that may assist me in finding a place in the St Jean area. The reason Im asking is that after finishing my BOTC I have to take a French language for 8 months and it will be hard for me to stay away from my family especially with a new born baby.
I do appreciate any feed back on this . THANKS.

I was in the same boat as your wife...had baby while hubby on BOTC...

You could do like my hubby did, once he started SLT (cuz there was NO TIME during BOTC) he started combing the streets in search of an apt. He started his SLT in Jan 02, I packed baby, two cats and all the baby gear I could fit into my Dodge Shadow and moved there in Feb 02 (all our other stuff went into storage at our own cost) We slept on an air mattress down the hall from the local drug dealer (apts near Cdn Tire) as hubby just settled for anything to act as a shelter for the three of us. It was an adventure, but it was fun.

You could pop into the MFRC building on the base (behind the Mega) and ask for info for apt rentals and such, they may be able to help. But you likely won't have time until you are completed BOTC.

As for married quarters...there are none in St-Jean, the nearest ones are in St-Hubert (about 15-20 minutes away). Keep in mind that if you decide to move your family to be with you during your SLT it will be out of your pocket as you will not qualify for a paid move until you are Trade Qualified.

Trust me, it is not worth it to move your family before you start SLT as you will have to stay at the Mega during BOTC and you wouldn't have time to see them during BOTC anyway. Between preparing for inspections, cleaning weapons, doing laundry etc, and getting confined to base for one reason or another you won't see your family....BOTC is too busy.