Forecasting army housing supply with a DSS-delivered econometric model

The United States Department of the Army must provide its personnel with acceptable housing at minimum cost within the vicinity of military installations. To achieve these housing objectives, the Army often must enter into agreements for the construction of onpost housing or for the long-term leasing of existing housing. A decision support system, called HANS, has been developed to project the amount of construction or the number of leases that must be arranged. A key component of HANS is an econometric model that forecasts the quantities of offpost rental housing available for Army personnel. This paper describes the latest version of the model and its role in the construction and leasing request process. It also presents the benefits from using the econometric model and discusses the implications for public housing theory and military housing management practice.