Title 10Armed ForcesRelease 119-73not60

§2856 Military Unaccompanied Housing: Standards

Title 10 › Subtitle Subtitle A— General Military Law › Part IV— SERVICE, SUPPLY, AND PROPERTY › Chapter 169— MILITARY CONSTRUCTION AND MILITARY FAMILY HOUSING › Subchapter III— ADMINISTRATION OF MILITARY CONSTRUCTION AND MILITARY FAMILY HOUSING › § 2856

Last updated Apr 3, 2026|Official source

Summary

When building, buying, or improving covered military unaccompanied housing, the Secretary in charge must make sure the floor space in a given locality is not bigger than the floor space of similar private housing in that same area, except when extra space is needed to meet the minimum per-person area required under subsection (b)(1)(A). The Secretary of Defense must set uniform design rules that require a minimum floor space per person (bathrooms and closets do not count), limit each unit to no more than two people, and define design, construction quality, and maintenance standards. Covered military unaccompanied housing means government-owned housing for service members serving a tour of duty without dependents.

Full Legal Text

Title 10, §2856

Armed Forces — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)In the construction, acquisition, and improvement of covered military unaccompanied housing, the Secretary concerned shall ensure that the floor areas of such housing in a particular locality (as designated by the Secretary concerned for purposes of this section) do not exceed the floor areas of similar housing in the private sector in that locality, except for purposes of meeting minimum area requirements under subsection (b)(1)(A).
(b)In the design and configuration of covered military unaccompanied housing, the Secretary of Defense shall establish uniform design standards that—
(1)provide a minimum area of floor space, not including bathrooms or closets, per individual occupying a unit of covered military unaccompanied housing;
(2)ensure that not more than two individuals may occupy such a unit; and
(3)provide definitions and measures that specify—
(A)criteria of design;
(B)quality of construction material to be used; and
(C)levels of maintenance to be required.
(c)For purposes of this section, section 2856a, and section 2856b, the term “covered military unaccompanied housing” means Government-owned military housing intended to be occupied by members of the armed forces serving a tour of duty unaccompanied by dependents.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2024—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 118–159 substituted “subsection (b)(1)(A).” for “subsection (b)(1)(A),.”. 2023—Pub. L. 118–31, § 2831(a)(1)(B)–(D), designated existing provisions as subsec. (a) and inserted heading, inserted “covered” before “military unaccompanied housing” and “, except for purposes of meeting minimum area requirements under subsection (b)(1)(A),” before period at end, and added subsecs. (b) and (c). Pub. L. 118–31, § 2831(a)(1)(A), substituted “standards” for “local comparability of floor areas” in section catchline. 2006—Pub. L. 109–364 amended section catchline and text generally. Prior to amendment, text read as follows: “The Secretary of Defense shall prescribe

Regulations

establishing the maximum allowable net square feet per occupant for new permanent barracks

Construction

. Such

Regulations

shall be uniform for the armed forces under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of a military department.” 1990—Pub. L. 101–510 struck out “(a)” before “The Secretary of Defense” and struck out subsec. (b) which read as follows: “Before taking effect, any

Regulations

under this section, and any modifications to such

Regulations

, shall be submitted to the appropriate committees of Congress. Such

Regulations

(including any modifications to such

Regulations

) may not then take effect until 21 days after being received by such committees.”

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

For

Effective Date

and applicability of section, see section 12(a) of Pub. L. 97–214, set out as a note under section 2801 of this title. Uniform Design Standards Pub. L. 118–31, div. B, title XXVIII, § 2831(b), (c), Dec. 22, 2023, 137 Stat. 753, 754, provided that: “(b) Completion and Issuance of Uniform Design Standards.—Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act [Dec. 22, 2023], the Secretary of Defense shall—“(1) ensure that the uniform design standards required under section 2856(b)(1) of title 10, United States Code, as added by subsection (a)(1)(D), are completed, issued, and submitted to the congressional defense committees [Committees on Armed Services and Appropriations of the Senate and the House of Representatives]; or “(2) submit to the congressional defense committees a report—“(A) explaining in detail why such standards are not completed and issued; “(B) indicating when such standards are expected to be completed and issued; and “(C) specifying the names of the personnel responsible for the failure to complete and issue such standards. “(c) Compliance With Uniform Design Standards.—“(1) In general.—Not later than two years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of each military department shall ensure that all covered military unaccompanied housing located on a military installation under the jurisdiction of such Secretary complies with the uniform standards established under section 2856(b)(1) of title 10, United States Code, as added by subsection (a)(1)(D). “(2) No waiver.—The requirement under paragraph (1) may not be waived. “(3) Covered military unaccompanied housing defined.—In this subsection, the term ‘covered military unaccompanied housing’ has the meaning given in section 2856 of title 10, United States Code (as amended by subsection (a)).”

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

10 U.S.C. § 2856

Title 10Armed Forces

Last Updated

Apr 3, 2026

Release point: 119-73not60