| WHAT
IS OHA? |
The
Overseas Housing Allowance, or OHA, is a supplement to BAQ that is paid
to service members who live in private housing at their overseas duty station.
OHA and BAQ together help offset
your housing coast, which are made up of:
* Rent
* Utility and recurring maintenance
expenses
* Move-in housing allowance (MIHA)
** MIHA Misc: Up front, lump sum
payment covering average move-in cost. Check here for the current
MIHA MISC: OHA RATES
** MIHA Rent: Acquisitions fees,
dollar for dollar reimbursement
** MIHA Security: High crime/threat
areas determined by the Department of State
Although there is a separate allowance
for each of these prices, you housing allowance shows up in your pay simply
in the parts, the BAQ and the OHA. |
| DO
I HAVE TO APPLY FOR OHA? |
Yes.
When you arrive on Okinawa, you should check with the local housing office
to see what the procedures are for starting your OHA. This is a real
must if you want to see the money in your paycheck. |
| HOW
DO I KNOW HO MUCH RENT I CAN AFFORD TO PAY? |
Before
leasing, ask the housing office what your rent ceilings are. If your
rent is less then the ceiling, the amount you actually pay will be used
to compute your allowance. If you rent is above the ceiling, you
would pay the difference. The current rent ceiling are located
here: Pending |
| HOW
CAN I FIND OUT WHAT KIND OF UTILITY BILLS AND "MOVE-IN" AND "MOVE-OUT"
EXPENSES TO EXPECT? |
Again,
ask the housing office. The utility and recurring maintenance allowance
and the MIHA will tell you the average expenses for the area. If
you know what your allowances are, you'll be able to budget about the right
amount for those expenses. |
| WILL
OHA COVER ALL MY HOUSING COSTS? |
Not
always. First, remember that the OHA is a supplement to your BAQ.
Together, your BAQ and OHA may cover all your housing costs. That
is more likely to be the case if you live in housing that costs at or below
your ceiling amount and if your utility and MIHA expenses are average or
less then average. Check out this link for the average off-base cost:
OFF BASE HOUSING |
| I
AM PLANNING TO TAKE MY FAMILY OVERSEAS WITH ME. WILL I GET A HOUSING
ALLOWANCE FOR THEM? |
Only
if they are command sponsored. If they are not, you will still receive
OHA, but at the lower unaccompanied rate. Let me strongly advise
you that if your not command sponsored, life is really going to be tough.
Love is grand, but food will keep you alive. Think really hard before
you plan on such a move with out the command sponsorship. |
| WHERE
DOES THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE GET THE INFORMATION THAT'S USED TO SET THE
ALLOWANCE? |
The Information
comes from the service members, through the Defense Finance Accounting
Service (DFAS), at each duty station. Rent ceilings are based on
actual rents and are set to cover the rent paid by 80% of the services
members, with command-sponsored dependents, within each pay grade.
Utilities and MIHA for Okinawa is based on expenses reported by members
with dependents. The expenses are averages to set the allowances.
You should keep good records of your expenses so that you can report accurately.
That will help ensure that the allowances reflect reality. |
| I'VE
HEARD THAT UTILITY BILLS ARE NOT SENT OUT EVERY MONTH IN SOME PLACES OVERSEAS.
IS THAT TRUE? |
Yes.
In Okinawa, you should not experience a delay so should not be a concern
for anyone. |
| HOW
OFTEN IS OHA REVIEWED? |
OHA
is reviewed at least once every 6 months. |
| I'LL
BE PAYING MY HOUSING COSTS IN LOCAL CURRENCY, AND THE VALUE OF THE DOLLAR
SEEMS TO CHANGE EVERY OTHER DAY. IS MY HOUSING ALLOWANCE GOING TO
KEEP UP WITH THE CHANGES? |
Yes.
The Departments' Per Diem, travel and Transportation Allowance Committee
closely monitors changes in the exchange rate. They adjust OHA every
payday if necessary to maintain you purchasing power.
OHA RATES
Of course, it takes a while for the
change to show up in your paycheck, just as it takes time to process an
allotment change. |
| I'VE
HEARD THAT THERE IS ALSO A COST-OF-LIVING ALLOWANCE OR COLA. DOSE
THE AMOUNT OF OHA I RECEIVE AFFECT MY COLA? |
No.
OHA and COLA are separate allowances. |
