R 231500Z JAN 12 ALCGPSC 012/12 SUBJ: 2012 BASIC ALLOWANCE FOR HOUSING (BAH) DATA COLLECTION PROCESS A. GUIDELINES AND PROCEDURES FOR DOD BASIC ALLOWANCE FOR HOUSING DATA COLLECTION, PSCINST 7220.1 (SERIES) 1. BACKGROUND: THE BAH DATA COLLECTION PROCESS ESTABLISHES ANNUAL BAH RATES BASED ON HOUSING RENTAL MARKET DATA COLLECTED AND SUBMITTED WITHIN EACH MILITARY HOUSING AREA (MHA). THE MILITARY SERVICES, AS THE PRIMARY STAKEHOLDERS, COLLECT AND ELECTRONICALLY REPORT RENTAL MARKET COSTS TO THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE (SECDEF) CONTRACTOR, RUNZHEIMER INTERNATIONAL (RZI) WHO VERIFIES THE SERVICE SUBMISSIONS AND CONDUCTS A SECONDARY DATA SURVEY. THE COMBINED VERIFIABLE DATA IS REPORTED TO SECDEF, WHO ULTIMATELY ESTABLISHES THE RESULTING BAH RATES. THE SERVICE WITH RESPONSIBILITY FOR REPORTING DATA TO RZI IS DESIGNATED AS THE PRIMARY MILITARY HOUSING OFFICE (MHO). IN SOME INSTANCES, SHARED RESPONSIBILITY EXISTS AND SECONDARY MHOS ARE ALSO DESIGNATED. RENTAL DATA SUBMITTED BY THE SERVICE MHOS REPRESENTS APPROXIMATELY 60 PERCENT OF THE SUBMISSION. IT IS IMPERATIVE THE INFORMATION BE ACCURATE AND VERIFIABLE. 2. PROCESS: REF A, AVAILABLE AT HTTP://WWW.USCG.MIL/PSC/HRA/PSCINST.ASP, PROVIDES CG SPECIFIC GUIDELINES AND PROCEDURES. THE ANNUAL PROCESS BEGINS IN JANUARY WITH THE UNIT DESIGNATING A REPRESENTATIVE (PRIMARY OR SECONDARY) AND CONCLUDES IN DECEMBER WHEN THE RESULTING BAH RATES ARE PUBLISHED. DUE TO THE IMPORTANCE OF THE UNIT SUBMISSIONS, COMMANDS SHOULD DESIGNATE ONLY THOSE PERSONNEL WITH STRONG ORGANIZATION SKILLS AND A DEMONSTRATED ABILITY TO PERFORM TASKS OF SIGNIFICANT RESPONSIBILITY. SELECTED PERSONNEL SHOULD NOT BE TOUR COMPLETE PRIOR TO JULY 2012. THE GENERAL TIME-LINE BELOW APPLIES: A. JANUARY: UNITS WITH MHO RESPONSIBILITIES SHALL DESIGNATE MHO REPRESENTATIVES. AREA HOUSING OFFICERS (AHO) SHALL CONTACT COMMANDING OFFICERS TO OBTAIN MHO POC NAME AND CONTACT INFORMATION. B. FEBRUARY: RZI WILL EMAIL UNIT MHO POCS PASSWORDS AND ACCESS INFORMATION FOR THE SECURE MHO WEBSITE, HTTP://WWW.BAH.RUNZHEIMER.COM, USED TO SUBMIT RENTAL MARKET DATA. THE WEBSITE ALSO CONTAINS A DETAILED PROCESS GUIDE. IN ADDITION TO THE PROCESS GUIDE, COAST GUARD COMMANDS ARE ASKED TO FOLLOW THE ADDITIONAL GUIDANCE PROVIDED WITHIN THE SITE TO ENSURE THE HIGHEST QUALITY INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE FOR THE RATE-SETTING PROCESS. C. MARCH-MAY: 1. CENSUS TRACTS ARE REVIEWED IN MHOWEB. MHOS SHALL DESIGNATE TRACTS AS EITHER ACCEPTED OR EXCLUDED FOR DATA COLLECTION. RZI WILL NOT COLLECT ADDITIONAL RENTAL DATA FROM EXCLUDED CENSUS TRACT AREAS. 2. RENTAL DATA SHALL BE COLLECTED AND ENTERED INTO MHOWEB. 3. A LIST OF REAL ESTATE PROFESSIONALS WHO ARE FAMILIAR WITH THE LOCAL RENTAL MARKET SHALL BE ENTERED INTO MHOWEB. 4. A DATA REVIEW BY BOTH THE MHO POC AND THE AHO IS NECESSARY BEFORE SUBMISSION (STEP 6 OF THE PROCESS) TO RZI. PRIMARY MHOS WILL SUBMIT CENSUS TRACT, REAL ESTATE PROFESSIONALS AND SCREENED RENTAL PROPERTY DATA VIA MHOWEB FOR THE FIRST OF THREE SUBMISSION DEADLINES IN MAY. 5. CONTRACTOR (RZI) VERIFICATION OF SERVICE DATA BEGINS AFTER THE FIRST MONDAY IN MAY. D. JUNE: RENTAL INFORMATION (ONLY) CONTINUES TO BE COLLECTED, VERIFIED, UPDATED AND SUBMITTED INTO MHOWEB. NO FURTHER ACTION ON CENSUS TRACTS OR INFORMATION ON REAL ESTATE PROFESSIONALS IS SUBMITTED FOR THIS SECOND SUBMISSION DEADLINE. E. JULY: RENTAL INFORMATION (ONLY) CONTINUES TO BE COLLECTED, VERIFIED, UPDATED AND SUBMITTED INTO MHOWEB. NO FURTHER ACTION ON CENSUS TRACTS OR INFORMATION ON REAL ESTATE PROFESSIONALS IS SUBMITTED FOR THIS THIRD AND FINAL SUBMISSION DEADLINE. AFTER THE JULY SUBMISSION, THE SERVICE INPUT IS COMPLETE. 3. RESPONSIBILITIES: A. UNIT: COLLECT AND INPUT ACCURATE AND VERIFIABLE COST, ADDRESS AND PHONE NUMBER FOR EACH RENTAL SITE INTO MHOWEB. REVIEW AND DESIGNATE CENSUS TRACTS AS EITHER APPROVED FOR, OR EXCLUDED FROM, FUTURE RZI DATA COLLECTION. COLLECT AND INPUT REAL ESTATE PROFESSIONAL CONTACT INFORMATION (RZI WILL USE THESE CONTACTS AS NEEDED). COLLABORATE WITH PRIMARY OR SECONDARY MHOS AS APPROPRIATE (CG PSC-PSD-FS APPROVAL IS REQUIRED IF SECONDARY MHO ANTICIPATES DEFERRING SUBMISSION TO PRIMARY MHO). SUBMIT DATA AFTER AHO REVIEW. B. AHO: TRACK UNIT(S) PROCESS PROGRESSION THROUGH FINAL SUBMISSION FOR AOR AND PROVIDE ASSISTANCE WHERE NEEDED. PROVIDE QUALITY ASSURANCE REVIEW (VERIFY ADDRESSES, PHONE NUMBERS, RENT) AND REGIONAL ASSISTANCE PRIOR TO MHO POC SUBMISSION. IDENTIFY TRAINING NEEDS FOR MHO POC. C. PSC-PSD-FS: PROVIDE ASSISTANCE, PERFORM QUALITY ASSURANCE AND TRACK OVERALL PROCESS PROGRESSION PROVIDING FEEDBACK TO AHOS. ADMINISTER E-TRAINING (BAHPRO) COURSE AVAILABLE ON CG VIRTUAL CLASSROOM. ATTEND RZI ALL-SERVICES DATA REVIEW MEETING AFTER FIRST SUBMISSION DEADLINE. D. RZI: MAINTAIN MHOWEB, PROVIDE USER ACCESS FOR MHOPOC, PROCESS GUIDE AND LIMITED TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES. ACCEPT VERIFIABLE DATA AND COLLECT ADDITIONAL DATA FROM APPROPRIATE CENSUS TRACTS. 4. RESOURCES: RZI WEBSITE PROVIDES MHA MAPS COMPLETE WITH INTERACTIVE FEATURES FOR DESIGNATING CENSUS TRACTS AND SUBMITTING DATA. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES ARE: A. USPS.COM: PROVIDES TOOLS TO VERIFY PROPERTY ADDRESSES. NO PROPERTY SHOULD BE SUBMITTED THAT ISNT VERIFIABLE IN THE POSTAL SERVICE DATABASE. B. GOOGLE MAPS (STREET VIEW): IF UNABLE TO PHYSICALLY VIEW A PROPERTY, THIS TOOL CAN BE USED TO EVALUATE THE CONDITION AND SURROUNDING LOCATION OF A PROPERTY CONSIDERED FOR SUBMISSION. C. MICROSOFT MAPPOINT 2009: THIS SOFTWARE CAN AID IN THE QUALITY ASSURANCE PROCESSES. D. OFFICE COMMUNICATOR LIVE MEETING: CAN BE USED TO TRAIN AND PROVIDE REAL-TIME FEEDBACK TO UNITS TO ENSURE QUALITY SUBMISSIONS. E. AUTOMATED HOUSING REFERRAL NETWORK (AHRN): THIS DOD CONTRACTED REFERAL SERVICE IS THE PRIMARY REPOSITORY FOR RENTAL, FOR SALE BY OWNER, AND ROOMATE LISTINGS WITHIN THE UNITS COMMUTING AREA. PROPERTIES LISTED ARE SCREENED BY THE MILITARY SERVICES. IN ADDITION TO BEING A REFERAL SERVICE, MANY OF THE LISTINGS WITHIN AHRN.COM ARE APPROPRIATE FOR BAH DATA SUBMISSION. AHRN PROPERTY ADDRESSES ARE VALIDATED AT TIME OF ENTRY AND PROPERTIES WITHIN THE BAH PROFILES MAY BE SUBMITTED DIRECTLY, REDUCING ADMINISTRATIVE BURDEN. UNIT POCS SHOULD CONTACT THE SUPPORTING AHO IF THEY DO NOT HAVE ADMIN ACCESS TO AHRN.COM. WHILE AHRN IS AN EXCELLENT SOURCE OF LISTING IN MOST AREAS, IT SHOULD NOT BE THE ONLY SOURCE USED. F. BAH PROCESS E-TRAINING: A CG ON-LINE COURSE COVERING GENERAL PROCESSES AS WELL AS CG SPECIFIC PROCEDURES IS AVAILABLE AT CG VIRTUAL CLASSROOM HTTP://MAIN.VIRTUALCLASSROOMUSCG.ORG/COURSE/VIEW.PHP?ID(EQUAL SIGN)29. THE COURSE IS AVAILABLE TO ALL MEMBERS. 5. DEADLINES: RZI PUBLISHES THREE DATA SUBMISSION DEADLINES. IN ORDER TO COMPLETE ADEQUATE INTERNAL QUALITY ASSURANCE REVIEWS, MHO POCS ARE TO ENSURE DATA IS AVAILABLE IN MHOWEB NOT LATER THAN THREE WORKING DAYS PRIOR TO THE ESTABLISHED DEADLINES. IF THE MHO POC IS UNAVAILABLE TO COMPLETE THE DATA SUBMISSION BY THE RZI DEADLINE, ARRANGEMENTS MUST BE MADE TO ENSURE MHO DATA IS SUBMITTED. A. FIRST DEADLINE: RZI DEADLINE IS 2400, 1 MAY 2012, HOWEVER DATA MUST BE AVAILABLE FOR AHO REVIEW BY 27 APRIL, 2012. B. SECOND DEADLINE: RZI DEADLINE IS 2400, 12 JUNE 2012, HOWEVER DATA MUST BE AVAILABLE FOR AHO REVIEW BY 8 JUNE 2012. C. THIRD AND FINAL DEADLINE: RZI DEADLINE IS 2400, 10 JULY 2012, HOWEVER DATA MUST BE AVAILABLE FOR AHO REVIEW BY 6 JULY 2012. 6. RECOMMENDATIONS TO MHO POCS: A. USE PREVIOUSLY VERIFIED INFORMATION TO THE GREATEST EXTENT POSSIBLE, UPDATING RENTAL AMOUNTS. B. USE AHRN DATA ALREADY CONTAINING A SITE VISIT REVIEW AND APPROVAL. C. PROVIDE REGULAR PROGRESS REPORTS TO COMMAND CADRE AS WELL AS A FINAL BRIEF. D. CONTACT AHO TO REQUEST E-TRAINING ACCESS IMMEDIATELY AFTER DESIGNATION. E. USE JAN-FEB TO BECOME FAMILIAR WITH YOUR MHA, REVIEW CENSUS TRACTS AND CONTACT REAL ESTATE PROFESSIONALS. F. SEEK ASSISTANCE FROM AHO AND PSC-PSD-FS AS NEEDED. A REGULAR DIALOGUE WILL ENSURE PROCESS SUCCESS IN YOUR MHA. 7. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONTACT AHOS OR MR. DAVID MARCHUK (PSD-FS HOUSING WEST) AT (510) 437-6634 OR MR. JOHN RUSCH (PSD-FS HOUSING EAST) AT (757) 628-4797. 8. RADM D. R. MAY, COMMANDER, PERSONNEL SERVICE CENTER, SENDS. 9. INTERNET RELEASE AUTHORIZED.