Texas base relocates 5,200 medical students from unsafe housing

The military moved about 5,200 enlisted medical trainees from their housing at a Texas Army base after determining that “climate control systems” and “foundational defects” made the housing immediately unsafe.

Base officials confirmed the move Wednesday evening.

The students, who are assigned to the Medical Education and Training Campus at Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston, are now in an on-post hotel, according to online contracting information posted July 8.

Base officials did not say when students were moved, but a memo posted online about it is dated July 9 and described the relocation as the “first step in a strategic plan to build new housing” for future medical trainees.

“This decision was made based on continuing infrastructure degradation that is rooted in the campus construction and can no longer be resolved through routine maintenance or ongoing repairs,” the base said.

Officials declined a request for an interview about the situation and how it escalated to an immediate relocation of students.

“Our primary focus is the safety and quality of life of our students. This relocation will allow the medical training pipeline to continue without compromise,” the base said.

The training campus supports the medical education of about 16,500 members a year from across the military, preparing troops to serve in various medical, dental and public health fields.

It is unclear how long this housing situation could last, but the base said it is the only solution while a “long-term recapitalization solution is being developed.” The contract information online for the temporary housing is managed by the Army but did not include the cost or duration.

The “in-license agreement” was signed with Rest Easy LLC, which manages the on-post hotel because it had been previously determined to be the only “responsible source” able to meet the need.

The medical campus’ housing was added to the Pentagon’s military construction budget in fiscal year 2025, authorizing $469 million to the Air Force for its construction. The goal is for construction to begin at the end of the year, the base said.

The now-vacant housing was 330,000 square feet with each unit housing 1,200 students, according to the medical training campus’ website. Students lived in double occupancy rooms and had access to computer learning centers, linen rooms, classrooms and game rooms.

The Pentagon last year formed a task force to address conditions in barracks and dorms for junior enlisted troops, which included a “wall-to-wall” assessment of all barracks. Its findings led Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in December to announce $1.2 billion for the barracks, including $400 million to address immediate needs.

However, it was not clear Thursday if any of that money had trickled down to the medical campus.

The Air Force said in December it would put $41.5 million of its portion of emergency funds toward immediate dormitory fixes of door locks, sinks, exhaust fans, lights, toilets, heating and cooling components, mold remediation, roof, flooring and window repairs. Another $89 million was set aside for larger projects, though officials did not state where those projects were located.

Service members familiar with the medical campus housing sent photos of a moldy mattress, thermometers clocking room temperatures above 90 degrees and a bathroom with the ceiling cut out to Robert Evans, founder of Hots and Cots, an app that allows people to rate housing and meals in the military.

“What changed in July 2026 was not the building. The building had been telling the same story for six years. What changed was the decision to act on it,” he wrote online about the photos.