Housing continues to be one of the greatest challenges facing military members moving in and out of the Black Hills. To help us sort out the latest numbers and resources, we connected with housing experts at Ellsworth Air Force Base. Laura J. Frink serves as the Housing Program Manager for the 28th Civil Engineer Squadron.
What is the first piece of advice you would give to a family who is looking for housing?
• Start the process early and prioritize understanding your needs and budget.
• Assess your family’s specific requirements: proximity to the base, school districts, community amenities, and special needs.
• Establish a realistic budget that includes not just rent or mortgage payments but also utilities, commuting costs, and other living expenses.
• Housing on Ellsworth AFB is limited, with only 500 homes available. They are highly sought after because they offer desirable features such as fenced yards, two-car garages, and utilities covered by the active-duty member’s Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH).
What is available right now – both on base and off-base?
• There is always a waitlist for on-base housing.
• Off-base, housing market in Rapid City continues to grow, especially in the rental market. The overall vacancy rate has shifted from less than 2% in 2021 to 15.6%.
• Our housing office team helps families navigate housing options by maintaining rental properties on HOMES.mil; a DOD website designed to connect service members with community housing rental listings near U.S. military bases.
What about VA loans? Do you help with those?
The Military Housing Office does not assist with VA loans. Service members’ Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) is based on local rental housing cost data and does not consider the home purchase market. Although BAH can be used to purchase a home, our office primarily focuses on assisting with rentals.
What else do people need to know?
Temporary Lodging: Families might need temporary accommodations while waiting for permanent housing. The Ellsworth AFB Housing Office can provide guidance on temporary lodging and lease lock options if on-base housing is not readily available.
Lease Lock Option: If a member has to secure a rental off base while waiting for on-base housing, they can use the lease-lock option. This means when you are offered a home on-base but cannot break your lease agreement, you can request from the privatized housing office to be placed on a ‘lease lock.’
We also spoke with Rebecca Pisle, a Privatized Housing Resident Advocate for the 28th Bomb Wing about how the local community has helped move the needle toward more affordable housing for military members and their families. Pisle spearheaded the creation of BlackHillsWire.com, an online resource that recognizes builders, realtors, mortgage lenders, and property managers committed to helping our military members.
“There is a housing team on base that is here to help. We have spent several years talking to housing partners in our local community to ensure Airmen arriving at Ellsworth AFB can secure housing.
We are so fortunate to live in a community that truly respects and cares about military members. The amount of phone calls, emails, and text messages I have received from community partners wanting to help is heartwarming. I lead a Housing Subcommittee under the Quality-of-Life Pillar of the Black Hills Military Advisory Coalition. It’s made up of professionals that represent different aspects of housing in our local area.
The subcommittee partnered with BlackHillsWire.com to build a robust database of housing partners specializing in home ownership and available rentals.
The 28th Bomb Wing Leadership team also established a Housing Working Group, which included experts from around the base that had a component to the permanent change of station (PCS) process.
The group worked toward solutions to ease the transition for our Airmen relocating to Ellsworth AFB. They established a robust Welcome Packet which is still used today and found on the Ellsworth AFB webpage under the newcomers’ tab and the housing page.”