Peterson transitions to privatized housing Published Sept. 25, 2007 By Corey Dahl 21st Space Wing Public Affairs PETERSON AFB, Colo. -- Officials here handed over control of base housing to a private developer this month, the first step in a process that will eventually bring new homes to both Peterson and Schriever. Private developer Actus Lend Lease closed on a $321 million privatization initiative for Peterson, Schriever and Los Angeles Air Force Bases Sept. 20. Actus - operating under the name Tierra Vista Communities - will now manage base housing here and receive servicemembers' base housing allowances each month. The transfer of authority also clears the way for Actus to begin replacing Peterson's 493 homes with 597 new ones and start building 242 new homes on Schriever, which currently has no base housing. "This is an exciting opportunity for our community here at Peterson and Schriever," said Col. Carlos Cruz-Gonzalez, Air Force Space Command's deputy director of installations and mission support. "This project allows us to move forward on our goal to provide good quality housing for our Airmen." Actus will start building new houses here this spring with construction finishing on Schriever in 2010 and on Peterson in 2013. The new units will be energy-efficient and larger than the houses currently on base. Actus will also take care of all lawn maintenance for residents and plans to build walking and biking trails, playgrounds and a community center. The new houses will be a significant improvement over Peterson's current housing stock, which was built between 1965 and 1975, Colonel Cruz-Gonzalez said. "They're in good condition overall, but they're dated," he said. "Our families now have certain expectations for amenities that these houses currently lack. Now we'll be able to provide them." Families on base are eager for the changes. Airmen were required to sign new leases this summer if they wished to stay in family housing, and, according to Bob Mathis, vice president with Actus, the number of people who opted to stay exceeded expectations. "I had a couple of people tell me they were going to use the opportunity to move off base, buy a house downtown or something," he said. "But we're actually at a higher rate of occupancy than we expected." And, while families might not see any shovels in the ground until April, Mr. Mathis said residents can still expect to see major changes now that Actus has taken over. Company representatives have already been visiting houses, asking about maintenance backlogs and taking care of them, he said. Actus has also been holding community events, such as a recent Breakfast on the Go, and Mr. Mathis said residents can expect more activities in the near future. "We want to create community, so they feel like somebody's there watching over them," he said. "Our goal is to improve quality of life for the men and women in our armed forces." Comment on this story