Military families should never have to choose between serving their country and ensuring their families live in safe and healthy conditions. Unfortunately, this is the reality for hundreds of families stationed in Key West, Florida, who are living in homes managed by Balfour Beatty, the privatized housing company responsible for maintaining military housing.

For over a year, my family has endured uninhabitable living conditions caused by excessive humidity, widespread mold growth, and neglectful maintenance practices by Balfour Beatty. Despite numerous maintenance requests, independent mold assessments, and escalating complaints, the problems persist.

A certified mold assessor recently deemed our home uninhabitable due to the extensive amount of mold present, which poses significant health risks. As a temporary solution, Balfour Beatty relocated my family to a hotel. While we are relieved to be out of the unsafe environment, this arrangement has disrupted our lives—especially with the holidays approaching and our son preparing to leave for boot camp in January.

Sadly, our story is not unique. Hundreds of military families in Key West are facing similar hardships due to Balfour Beatty’s neglect. This systemic issue has left families dealing with:

Unsafe living conditions that endanger their health.
Persistent maintenance delays and unresponsiveness.
Emotional and financial strain from having to manage the fallout of Balfour Beatty’s failures.
Military families sacrifice so much to serve this country and deserve housing that reflects the respect and care they have earned. It is unacceptable for privatized housing companies like Balfour Beatty to profit while failing to meet basic standards of safety and habitability.

We demand immediate action to address these issues and hold Balfour Beatty accountable. Specifically, we call on:

Balfour Beatty to immediately remediate mold and repair all affected homes, providing safe, permanent housing for all families.
Military leadership to ensure privatized housing companies are held accountable for neglect and mismanagement.
Government oversight bodies to investigate the systemic failures within Balfour Beatty’s operations and implement reforms to protect military families.
Sign this petition to demand justice for the military families in Key West and ensure that no family has to endure unsafe housing conditions while serving our country. Together, we can bring awareness to this issue and advocate for the change these families deserve.

Jennifer Telfer
Military Spouse and Advocate for Housing Reform