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

[Redneck052]

Since originally writting this I had been posted to Victoria.  Not any better for PMQ's, but at least we get PLD.  However they decreased it shortly after getting here.  Cost of living is more, such as food, utlities and that.  I am paying $750 for a three bedrom duplex, with a basment this time.

But the status of the PMQs across Canada do need to adressed, the conditions of the housing that we find having to put our families into is really no better then the quaters in Petersville in Gagetown.  PLD was put into place to help cover cost of living expenses, not to cover the cost of our rents to CFHA.  With the never ending rise in the price of fuel, food, utlities, and other cost and is it going to take for Ottawa to take notice that there "might" be a problem with housing cost, and pay.

Unfortuantly, what it may take is for the discouvary of a frozen NCM family wrapped up in blakets sitting in front of Coleman stove trying to stay warm, because they couldn't afford to pay for heating oil that month because of the last CHFA rent increase.

The RCMP just received a pay increace of 9.4% over 3 years, and we are getting 2% in October, watch out for the rent increases!

 

[Booked_Spice]

Alright.. HUGE PROBLEM....

Need HELP...

Hubby is Afghanisan. So yesterday my bathroom floor in the q was sopping wet. I can't figure where the water is coming from. I thought my daughter was playing.. SHe is a trouble maker. Well daughter is in Bed. Water is soaking up 2 towels in a couple of hours. I mop all the water up. Well I am downstairs in the kitchen ( which is directly under my bathroom), there is water on my kitchen floor. I mop that out. I find out that water is dripping from my ceiling. I l look for numbers for after hours emergency. They told me I would be charged if they came out. Well at 2 am. Water is now pouring my light. My kitchen was raining. I am standing there having no IDEA what to do. Don't want to go near the light. So I decided to mop it up and the water stops pouring. I Phone housing first thing this morning. Got an answering machine. Told them it was really important. No phone back. I called them  3 times after this. No Call back. There is no more water leaking from my light. HOWEVER I am not touching it.. I have NO idea why it did this. Because nothing was leaking in my bathroom. I AM NOT A PLUMBER. But housing does not seem interested in talking to me at all. So honestly this is the first time I have lived in the Q's. How do I get housing to help me. This may sound stupid I am scared to even turn my kitchen Light one ( I am not an electrician) So I have a baby that needs a bottles in the night.. I am stumbling around my kitchen trying to get them. 

I would imagine that my problem is pretty important........but I am lost.. They seem not to want to help me out. I have loads of problems with this Q.. They would be prompt when Hubby would phone.. but they won't even answer for me.

Please can someone help ME... LOL.. I don't want to have a shower and fall through to the kitchen.. LOL..

Thanks in advance

 

[kincanucks]

Alright.. HUGE PROBLEM....

Need HELP...

Hubby is Afghanisan. So yesterday my bathroom floor in the q was sopping wet. I can't figure where the water is coming from. I thought my daughter was playing.. SHe is a trouble maker. Well daughter is in Bed. Water is soaking up 2 towels in a couple of hours. I mop all the water up. Well I am downstairs in the kitchen ( which is directly under my bathroom), there is water on my kitchen floor. I mop that out. I find out that water is dripping from my ceiling. I l look for numbers for after hours emergency. They told me I would be charged if they came out. Well at 2 am. Water is now pouring my light. My kitchen was raining. I am standing there having no IDEA what to do. Don't want to go near the light. So I decided to mop it up and the water stops pouring. I Phone housing first thing this morning. Got an answering machine. Told them it was really important. No phone back. I called them  3 times after this. No Call back. There is no more water leaking from my light. HOWEVER I am not touching it.. I have NO idea why it did this. Because nothing was leaking in my bathroom. I AM NOT A PLUMBER. But housing does not seem interested in talking to me at all. So honestly this is the first time I have lived in the Q's. How do I get housing to help me. This may sound stupid I am scared to even turn my kitchen Light one ( I am not an electrician) So I have a baby that needs a bottles in the night.. I am stumbling around my kitchen trying to get them. 

I would imagine that my problem is pretty important........but I am lost.. They seem not to want to help me out. I have loads of problems with this Q.. They would be prompt when Hubby would phone.. but they won't even answer for me.

Please can someone help ME... LOL.. I don't want to have a shower and fall through to the kitchen.. LOL..

Thanks in advance

Did you husband leave you any information about his unit's rear party and contact numbers?  Do you have the number for the Military Family Resource Centre?  Call them and make sure you keep a record of many times you called the CFHA help desk.  Good luck.

 

[Redneck052]

Get your husbands units rear party to Search and Destroy who evers is responsible.

For one, if it is a emergency, of no fault of your own, should CFHA not pay for the after hours sevice call.  Or at lease care to see how you are doing.  Good God, your husband IS DEPLOYED!!! 

Second, I had my sump drain back up, and my basement began to get water in it, the evening of News Years Eve.  The guy didn't even finish unitl 12:30am.  It was not a problem here, not even a suggestion of cost.

The first thing they should have asked is if you were ok.  Are you ok now?  And you call the rear party and tell them everything about what happen with CFHA, let them teat them a new ashole.  My wife had more then enough things to worry about at our last base, with me being gone, the two kids, and everything.  Then having to fight with CFHA. 

Actually she calls them CFHAAH,  kind of sticks.... Canadian Forces Houses Agency Ass Holes !!!  Kind of fitting too.

 

[xrme]

It's been a while since I lived in a Q, but, when did those occupying Q's have to start paying for repairs, and emergency repair calls? Sounds to me, like the after hours emergency number might be direct to a contracted plumber or said company. I would hope that CFHA would pay for the service call...even after the fact. And, even if they don't, you can sue for compensation. I remember when I left q's, I ended up suing CFHA for a difference in my hydro bill of about $12...CFHA was supposed to read the meter, and forward the reading on day of departure...they didn't. when I got my bill, I was being billed for a Q that I hadn't occupied for several weeks.

While I empathize with the situation, and from past experiences, and from current friends' experiences...CFHA does not care one way or t'other if hubby is home or otherwise deployed....why would they?...rear party on the other hand, should.

Seems that CFHA and IRP, although "there for the members" ... aren't all they're cracked up that they're supposed to be.

 

[gaspasser]

Not sure if this one was covered.  But, redneck052, Kingston does get PLD....yeah, a whopping $26/mos.  I feel bad for the guys out west on the coast with F'all to help with rent.  Is it still bad out there?  remind me not to get posted out to the coast.And the reason there is such a large vacancy in K'ton....the Q's do suck!  They're built on limstone, so most have no basments...I lucked in closer to the fort on the apartment side.  They just tore down a whole bunch of "slummy" looking ones, as niner calls them.  In Trenton they look a little worse for wear...anyone here from T'ton with any info, just in case I need to move into a Q before I get a house?
Cheers, out.

 

[Booked_Spice]

Just as a heads up..

Rear Party does not get involved in Q problems. They said I should right a letter and complain. HA HA HA.

Anyways here is an update.After loads of phone calls and complaints and even a few threatening calls. They sent someone to come help me. But it took a lot of threats. I did however receive numerous calls and apologies. One problem down now on to fix the next one. OH housing is going to love me...

 

[kincanucks]

Just as a heads up..

Rear Party does not get involved in Q problems. They said I should right a letter and complain. HA HA HA.

Anyways here is an update.After loads of phone calls and complaints and even a few threatening calls. They sent someone to come help me. But it took a lot of threats. I did however receive numerous calls and apologies. One problem down now on to fix the next one. OH housing is going to love me...

Then the rear party is useless.  Call them back and make sure you speak to the Officer Commanding the rear party.  They are not there to fix your problem but they certainly can assist you in dealing with it.

 

[beach_bum]

Wow.  Some rear party.  I'm glad your problem got solved though.

As for the emergency line charging if you use them, I have not encountered that and I have had to use them a couple of times.  Though their willingness to help left a little to be desired.  My furnace died a couple of years ago at night.  It was January.  When I talked to the emergency line (person was in Ottawa) they told me they wouldn't send someone out, as I lived on the coast so I didn't really need the furnace anyway.  :  At that time it was 14 C in the house and dropping.  It was about 2C outside!  I tore them a new one....and they sent a guy out.  I didn't have to pay a thing and the guy was there at 2am.

 

[Kevin_CF]

7/10:


Buy a house!! Even a 100K  Eastern Passage semi if u have to. (the downpayment could be your one month entitlement of 5 %)

What is the entitlement that you're talking about?  I'm just going through a component transfer to the reg force, and I'm going to be posted to Ottawa.  Does anyone know what kind of benefits/help I can expect for the initial move?

 

[Spring_bok]

Then the rear party is useless.  Call them back and make sure you speak to the Officer Commanding the rear party.  They are not there to fix your problem but they certainly can assist you in dealing with it.

In Pet for example we use the Deployment Support centre when we are away and this seems to negate all responsibilities of rear parties.  These non-deployable types are way too busy with Maury Povich to deal anything more taxing than picking up box lunches.  I can remember when people stayed on rear party because they could be relied on to take care of our families in emergencies if required but we have contracted that out now too.  Just a rant, I am done.

 

[JugbandClegg]

I've never heard of the afterhours line charging you for an emergency situation.  I have heard of people calling the afterhours line for silly things in the past and it might arise that some of the cost as passed on to the caller.  The charges for the calls come in to CFHA and they take care of it.  I've heard complaints about the afterhours line in the past, as calls are deferred to a call centre.  The calls do not go directly to the contractor, the go to the centre and then they contact the contractor.  During hours that CFHA is open make sure it is the repair line you are calling, not the general enquiries line.  At the CFHa I worked at the repair line was always given a high priority and dropped calls were uncommon.  Also keep in mind some calls take a while to answer as the problem needs to be described in a lot of detail so they know what to tell the contractor.

 

[military granny]

Does anyone know if there is any formal or informal plans for the guys when they get back on base? I don't mean work days off etc. I mean like a place families can be to meet them when they get off the buses. I am going down there to meet my son and I would like to know this before I get there. And please Ladies and Gents don't tell me to contact the MFRC or rear party from there because I haven't heard a peep from either since the boy left.

 

[Scoobie Newbie]

I can make a call or two.
Could you PM to remind me.  I rarely remember what I had for dinner the night before.

 

[military granny]

Thanks Quagmire

 

[reccecrewman]

It actually would have been nice if the Government wanted to get rid of responsibility for the PMQ's, they should have sold them on the private market, rather than handed them over to CFHA.  Then, use some of the proceeds from the sale of the houses to put up fencing if required to separate the operational portion of the Base from the Q's.  In Pet's case, it wouldn't be difficult.......... They'd only have to run a line from the by the ice rinks to the gate behind the Canex, and another from the edge of the field house, along the road around the ball diamonds to the fire hall.  I know I'd rather have my own place than have to deal with CFHA. 

One other thing with CFHA, the Barracks are all price regulated according to rank, the Q's should be as well.  A Private in the RCD will pay roughly $75 a month for his room (cable included).  Another Private in the RCD (Or any Unit in 2 Brigade) who happens to have a wife and kid or 2, gets to pay $500 a month or more.  I think that CFHA should have set their prices according to rank as well.  Just my .02

Regards

 

[George Wallace]

One other thing with CFHA, the Barracks are all price regulated according to rank, the Q's should be as well.  A Private in the RCD will pay roughly $75 a month for his room (cable included).  Another Private in the RCD (Or any Unit in 2 Brigade) who happens to have a wife and kid or 2, gets to pay $500 a month or more.  I think that CFHA should have set their prices according to rank as well.  Just my .02

You missed out on something.  They are set by rank.  They are also set by type of quarters that the individual is in.  There is a formula that combines the different 'factors' and comes up with the amount that you pay for your quarters.  I am sure that you will find that not all RCD Privates are paying $75 a month - well let's make them Cpls.  If they are living in a 4 man room in F-16 they would pay less than a person of the same rank in the new 'Quads' or someone who had a 'Single' room in F-16.  The same goes for the PMQs.  The rent for an Apartment is not the same as for a Row House nor a Single House.  Rank and type of accommodation factor into the equation to come up with the 'Rent'.

As for you not wanting to deal with CFHA, don't.  Get out of the Quarters and rent an apartment, or even better make an investment and buy a house.

 

[reccecrewman]

I think for the first time EVER (In my experiences with you anyway) your wrong George.  The PMQ's in Pet are not priced by rank.  Rank has nothing to do with the price of a Q in Pet.  You are correct that there are different rates for different types of dwellings, but I assure you that I pay the exact same for my 3 Bdrm single dwelling as my next door neighbor who is a Sergeant.

Regards

............ I'm disillusioned, George was actually wrong about something......... There's 1, 2, 3......... dagnabbit, where's that 4th horseman? I know he must be near.....  ;D

 

[George Wallace]

I can see that happening.  Is your Q in better shape than the Sgt's?  Is the Major down the street in a similar house paying the exact same as you?  There are many factors that are involved in the Rent paid.  How long have you lived in your Q, as opposed to the Sgt?  The Rents are raised quite quickly when the house is empty, but a lot slower when it is occupied.  Perhaps the Sgt has lived in that Q since he was a Pte and you moved in much later.  Then you would be hit with a much higher rent than he, as he would only have his rent go up.....what is it permissible by law.....6%?......where yours could be jacked up as high as they wanted prior to your moving in.

 

[reccecrewman]

Damn intangibles............. Hmmmm...... Food for thought eh?  Well, you're much more worldly and wiser than I due to age & experience, but I'm still certain that CFHA in Pet only has the one price list and houses are set at that price.  Now, if the rent goes up, I can see them adjusting the prices of ALL their PMQ's, unless the dwelling is occupied and the raise brings it higher than what is allowed by law, then they would probably just raise it the max the law allows and the following year, raise it again until it is the same as all dwellings of the same style.  In any event, you brought some factors into the mix that I never even considered......... again, the experience factor comes into play here.  6 years just don't stack up against 35+.  ;D

Thanks George

(PS - Still waiting for that juicy story you did up on that German Garrison flag sitting in our archives - looking forward to that)