Los Padres National Forest
Quarters Policy
Housing Assignment Plan
I. Permissive Occupancy. Region 5 Supplemental handbook 6409.11-92-1 requires the following statements be included in this plan: “Occupancy of Government furnished quarters is NOT a condition of employment. Housing will be assigned based on the availability of suitable structures as defined in the unit's housing assignment plan administered by the line officer.”
II. Required Occupancy. Employees who are mandated to occupy Government housing in order to provide for those planned measures and those of an emergency nature without which it would be impossible to preserve and safeguard human life, natural and historical resources, or costly facilities and services.
Only the incumbents of positions certified by the Regional Forester will be considered for Required Occupancy. Approved positions must be advertised as required occupancy.
III. Seasonal/Temporary Employees. Most of the seasonal/temporary employees do not reside in the local area and are employed only during the field season when workload is at its peak. Due to the temporary nature of their employment and limited salaries, seasonal and temporary employees are least capable of securing housing in the adjacent private rental market. For this reason seasonal/temporary employees will be housed, whenever possible, in government furnished quarters. Every attempt will be made to house seasonal/temporary employees in relation to work sites, tours of duty, and availability of housing.
IV. Assignment of Housing – Residences, Trailers and Trailer Pads. Other than Required Occupancy, available housing will be assigned as follows:
Management will periodically assess the amount of housing needs and will advertise for all incoming vacancies and hold some government quarters vacant to meet that incoming need (including potential detailers). Management will aim to maximize housing occupancy while at the same time keeping enough quarters vacant to make housing offers to new incoming employees. Government housing may not be available every time there is a vacancy to fill, nor for every detailer – but management will attempt to anticipate these needs and ensure some quarters are available.
Remaining vacant housing in excess of anticipated needs may be assigned to employees by the appropriate line officer by either a waiting list, or if there is no one on the waiting list, by an open announcement to all interested employees. If an open announcement is used and more than one employee expresses interest, the appropriate line officer will use a lottery to determine who will be offered housing. The line officer will document the rationale and/or method used for each housing assignment. The line officer will maintain a list that tracks how long each tenant has been in quarters (term of occupancy). When the line officer determines that occupied quarters will need to be vacated to meet an anticipated need, he/she will determine which quarters to vacate based on the longest term of occupancy (i.e. the tenant with the longest term of occupancy within the commuting area of the duty station, as defined by Federal Travel Regulations, where the need exists, will be the first required to vacate).
V. Barracks Assignment. Barracks assignments are determined by the District Ranger and are generally for employees with temporary assignments. The District Ranger may assign space to volunteers, detailers, term or permanent employees. Barracks Rental Agreements will generally will be for the term of the temporary employee’s appointment. For other employees assigned to barracks, the length of the agreement will be established by the District Ranger on a case-by-case basis, generally less than one year.