Housing Center welcomes AHRN.com

Published June 23, 2008

ELMENDORF AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska -- It's no secret that it is difficult to find good housing from across the nation or even across town. It's an old story that can have a new ending: The 3rd Civil Engineer Squadron Housing Office implemented a new internet-based housing referral system in May 2006 to overcome that problem. It's the Automated Housing Referral Network at AHRN.com. To date, there have been more than 5.2 million hits on the site. AHRN.com is a nationwide, joint service, DOD-sponsored website that offers a 24/7, single source of available housing for incoming military and their families.

AHRN.com directly connects servicemembers with local property managers via the internet often facilitating a door-to-door move that saves time and expenses.

"This housing referral network is a quantum leap forward from the previous process used", said Beverly Roberts, Capital Asset Management Element chief.

With the internet, incoming military and families are able to reach out from anywhere and get an updated list of available housing, from a much larger pool of diverse properties that will be available upon their arrival.

The idea behind AHRN.com is simple: free of charge, local property managers and military register their available properties on the site, often several months before the property will be available.

These properties are then easily visible to incoming personnel when they search the site for available housing. "It's our job to promote the site to all local stakeholders to ensure that it builds momentum and synergy," says Ms. Roberts. In Addition to helping newly assigned members find a new home, the web site also provides valuable information to help the member make an informed decision on whether to purchase or rent.

Also, AHRN has several mortgage calculator spreadsheets that help the user determine the plan that works best for them as well as, it has links to local area information, job opportunities, and a base map which serve to reduce stress commonly incurred in moving.

The Elmendorf AFB Housing Welcome Center is looking forward to expanding its AHRN.com program by encouraging local property managers to register in the system.
"The larger the database, the more useful it will be to people searching for places to live", Ms. Roberts said. "To make registering properties a worry-free proposition, AHRN.com incorporates several layers of privacy protection."

In return for registering their properties, AHRN.com provides property owners with a consistent resource of quality tenants. "It's a win-win for everyone who uses the site," says Ms. Roberts.

For more information, visit the AHRN.com Web site or call 552-4328.

(Information provided by 3rd Civil Engineer Squadron Housing Flight)