Pilot program at Sigonella
enables new
arrivals to move into housing quickly
By Anthony Burgos, Sigonella bureau
Anthony Burgos / Stars and Stripes
Petty Officer 1st Class Anthony Wall washes dishes in his temporary lodging at the
Costanzo Housing Area near Naval Air Station Sigonella on Friday. Wall chose a townhouse
in the complex as his permanently assigned government housing at the base. |
NAVAL AIR
STATION SIGONELLA, Sicily — The housing department has been rolling out the red
carpet — while saving plenty of green — as a select group of families arrives in
Sicily.
A pilot
program that started April 1 at the Costanzo Housing Area puts keys to a fully furnished
apartment in the hands of a sailor’s family almost as soon as they get off the plane.
It’s
also saving the Navy thousands of dollars in temporary lodging fees.
All
incoming petty officers 2nd and 3rd class and their families are provided accommodations
in the Costanzo complex instead of going out on the economy and staying in hotel-type
lodging until they choose their permanent quarters.
According
to Sigonella’s housing director Neil Snyder, the complex was underutilized. "We
already paid the rent on these units, so we figured, why not use our assets?"
Snyder said
placing families in the empty units has been saving the Navy an average of about $3,000
per family.
Petty
officers 3rd class and their families are permanently assigned to their unit, but those of
higher rank have two months to decide whether they want to stay in Costanzo, another
housing area or move out on the economy.
Once the
family decides where to live and their personal property arrives, housing takes back the
amenities so sailors can start setting up their home sweet home.
"It
avoids a lot of hassles," Snyder said. "If they choose to stay in Costanzo,
there is no need to pack up and move again. It cuts down on the housing search, and while
they are deciding, they have everything they need to feel at home."
Anthony Burgos/ Stars and Stripes
Petty Officer 3rd Class Allison Daniels and her son, Keion, spend some time at the
playground in the Costanzo Housing Area near Naval Air Station Sigonella on Friday. The
family arrived in Sicily about two weeks ago and already has had its personal property
delivered. |
The complex
is located about a half hour away from the base, but there is a small commissary within
the facility, and a bus service back and forth to the base four times a day.
"I
hate to have to give all this stuff back," said Petty Officer 1st Class Anthony Wall,
who was eligible to stay in the housing and has decided to do so.
After
arriving on the island April 9, Wall and his wife, Beverly, and their daughter, Keco, will
become permanent residents May 4.
The only
hard part, he said, was coming to a decision as to whether they would stay in an apartment
or a townhouse in the complex.
"We
love it here because we get to be around Americans without being near the base. And at the
same time, we are part of the Italian community, too."
"I
felt right at home as soon as I got here," said Petty Officer 3rd Class Allison
Daniels, another new Costanzo resident.
There are
some limitations as to which families qualify.
Snyder said
those with pets or more than three children don’t qualify. The units only have two
bedrooms and some are located in an apartment complex rather than a townhouse, making the
space inadequate for pets.
A similar
program at the Navy’s base in Naples, Italy, has proven to be successful, but a
spokesperson there wouldn’t give figures on how much money they were saving in
temporary lodging costs.
At Rota,
Spain, housing spokesman Rich Johnston said the waiting period there is short for newly
arrived families, and the base has a good supply of government housing.
There are
10 apartments and five townhouses slated for use at the complex.
Currently,
there are about a dozen families in the program, and officials expect to have filled in
the gaps at Costanzo by the end of May.
Bringing
families back to the Costanzo community has hand another positive effect. The small
commissary at the site was scheduled for closure, but Snyder said the boost in population
has helped sales pick up at the store.
"Costanzo
is starting to look like a neighborhood again," he said.
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