Town hall meeting eases housing privatization concerns Published March 26, 2007 By Capt. Tracy Giles 21st Space Wing Public Affairs PETERSON AFB, Colo. -- More than 100 people attended the Housing Privatization Town Hall meeting at the Peterson Air Force Base auditorium March 22. Ms. Johnna Phillips, Chief of Housing at Peterson Air Force Base, and Mr. Bob Mathis, vice president for Actus Lend Lease, gave briefings and fielded questions from the audience in an open forum to answer any and all questions they had on housing privatization. Actus Lend Lease is the company that is slated to take over as the base housing property operator under the privatization program. Col. Jay Santee, 21st Space Wing commander, and other wing leaders from the 21st Space Wing and the 50th Space Wing were also in attendance. "I see this as a change that is a win-win for all of us and I'm very excited about it," Colonel Santee said. "When you start to look at the benefits and the things we couldn't do for you that we wanted to do ... this really becomes the only way that we can do the things that you so rightly deserve." Housing privatization will bring 708 new homes, a new community center and a new maintenance facility to Peterson. "The Air Force has always set a high benchmark when it comes to housing and taking care of our folks," Mr. Mathis said. "The reality is that the dollars could not keep up with the desires. The partnership that we have is to exceed that benchmark now and set it higher." A Lease Signing Town Hall Meeting will be held May 9 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the base auditorium. Questions and answers along with a video of the presentations from the March 22 town hall meeting will be posted to the www.peterson.af.mil Web site by March 30. Housing officials are also available to provide unit briefings. For information on briefings, contact Johnna Phillips at 556-4332.