Barksdale opens base housing to single Airmen Published Aug. 5, 2011 By Staff Sgt. Terri Barriere 2nd Bomb Wing Public Affairs BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La. -- Single Airmen stationed at Barksdale looking for a place to stay now have to look no further than base housing. The Landings privatized housing company on base is renting homes to Airmen eligible to move out of the dorms or live off base. Interested Airmen will be offered one year leases on three or four bedroom duplexes, which can be shared amongst roommates. Dreamer Dowden, family housing property manager, said once a development falls below 95 percent occupancy for 30 consecutive days, the company begins filling the units in a waterfall manner. Tier A of that waterfall allows single service members, guardsmen, reservists and their families the opportunity to move on base. All Tier A residents are then moved into the vacant section of the development in order to maintain demographic integrity--in this case, that area is the senior non-commissioned officer historical housing. The homes will be rented at the SNCO dependent rate of $1707 but occupants are allowed to split the cost with as many roommates as there are rooms in the homes. Each roommate is then billed separately and responsible for their portion of the rent, allowing them to pay significantly less than if they lived alone and not be penalized if one roommate does not pay. Dowden does however advise that groups wanting to room together should go in to the office together to apply. Individual applicants risk being placed in units with other tenants they don't know or having to pay the rent in its entirety if choosing to live alone. New occupants will enjoy the same perks as other base housing residents including free utilities, trash service and lawn care. "A lot of people rent on base because they like the comfort of knowing their neighbors are military members ... the waterfall residents will have that comfort as well," said Starla Wilson, community director.