ALCOAST 189/20 - MAY 2020 COAST GUARD SAFE HOMES INITIATIVE – SITREP-1

R 221034 MAY 20
FM COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC//DCMS-DMR/DCMS-DPR//
TO ALCOAST
UNCLAS //N11101//
ALCOAST 189/20
COMDTNOTE 11101
SUBJ:  COAST GUARD SAFE HOMES INITIATIVE – SITREP-1
A. COMDT COGARD WASHINGTON DC 061410 MAR 20 ALCOAST 072/20
1. REF (A) outlined the Coast Guard’s Safe Homes Initiative (SHI), a service-wide
effort to ensure Coast Guard housing is compliant with federal environmental health
standards. These include new standards for lead dust that took effect in January 2020.
To date, all of the Coast Guard’s 1200+ family houses constructed prior to 1979 have
been funded for a state-certified environmental risk assessment. The vast majority of
housing locations are now under contract, and homes are being scheduled for assessment.
2. The purpose of this SITREP is to update the workforce on SHI progress as we enter
the assignment year (AY20) permanent change of station (PCS) season. Due to
complications presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, SHI assessments have been delayed
in many locations. Previous guidance promulgated in REF (A) restricted assignment of
at-risk families (defined as pregnant women and children under the age of seven) to
Coast Guard-owned housing constructed prior to 1979 that have not been assessed and
determined to be in compliance with the new 2020 Environmental Protection Agency lead
dust standards. As a result, at-risk families in receipt of AY20 PCS orders to remote
seasonal type locations may not be able to find suitable community-based housing at
their new permanent duty station.
3. REF (A) outlined several flexible housing options for at-risk families transferring
to locations where Coast Guard-owned housing is not readily available at the new duty
station. In the event these options are not feasible, there is no suitable
community-based housing, and assessments cannot be expedited in time for a family’s
arrival, REF (A) is amended to allow Housing Authorities to request a waiver to assign
an at-risk family to Coast Guard-owned family housing constructed before 1979 for
which an assessment is pending. Waivers will only be considered for housing units
with no known major or action level environmental risk findings. Waivers will be
considered on a voluntary, case-by-case basis, and shall demonstrate that all other
housing options have been thoroughly vetted. Prior to assignment, houses will receive
a thorough cleaning and be pre-inspected to identify any potential risks such as
damaged or deteriorated surfaces. Additionally, members shall be counseled that
at-risk family members should not come into contact with bare soil spots until the
state-certified assessment has been completed and determined to be within federal
standards. COMDT (CG-1), as the waiver authority, will send detailed guidance on the
waiver process to Housing Authorities under separate cover.  
4. Continued transparency and effective communications are imperative throughout
this process and we welcome your questions to the Safe Homes Initiative e-mail
address monitored by CGHQ housing staff at: HQS-SMB-CG-Housing@uscg.mil.
5. RADM J.M. Vojvodich, Deputy for Material Readiness, and RADM P.F. Thomas,
Deputy for Personnel Readiness, send.
6. Internet release is authorized.