The National Guard Bureau awarded a $292 million contract to Placemakr, a property management company, for up to 2,000 apartment-style residences for troops deployed to Washington as part of President Trump’s crime crackdown on the nation’s capital.
The contract, the largest interagency lodging acquisition in National Guard history, provides deployed personnel with long-term housing to improve troops’ readiness, quality of life, and operational security, officials said Friday.
Mobilized troops have been staying in hotels scattered across the District. Moving to apartment-style units will provide them with more stable living conditions along with access to secure parking and consolidated support services, National Guard officials said.
“This contract delivers stable, secure housing for our soldiers and airmen while achieving significant cost savings to the government,” said Monica Williams, head of contracting activity for the National Guard Bureau.
The deal was finalized in 85 days versus the four to six months it usually takes. Rather than provide written proposals, the vendors delivered oral presentations on how they would support the mission, officials said.
“We were able to move quickly to meet mission requirements and provide a long-term solution for deployed personnel,” Ms. Williams said.
The contract will also return a large number of commercial hotel rooms to the local market, increasing capacity for tourism and business travel during the Washington region’s peak travel season, officials said.
The National Guard deployment to the District was extended through the end of Mr. Trump’s term in the White House.
