PMQ (military housing)

A PMQ refers to military housing located near Canadian military stations provided to families of Canadian Forces service personnel. It is an abbreviation for Permanent Married Quarters or Private Married Quarters. Married quarters are also called Residential Housing Units (RHUs). Military housing is managed by the Canadian Forces Housing Agency.[1][2][3][4]

Purpose and culture

Married quarters at CFB Cold Lake, circa 1960
Married quarters under construction in Saint Avold, France. These apartments provided accommodation for families stationed in the 1950s and early 1960s at RCAF Station Grostenquin.

After the Second World War, service personnel returning to Canadian military stations, which were being expanded and modernized, needed accommodation for their families and so the Canadian government began providing housing. Military family housing neighborhoods often have churches, schools, banks, service stations, recreational facilities and stores.[5][6]

PMQ housing consists of apartments, row houses, duplex or detached houses. Family size, availability and the particular station dictate what type of housing is provided. Base housing is convenient because military members moved frequently and so members do not have to be concerned with constantly selling and buying a house; members only need to pay rent. Living in PMQs is also convenient since personnel are typically close to work.[7][8][4]

The nature of the neighborhood is such that there is social support. Children of military personnel also have a bond because of what they have in common.[7]

Current status

Currently about 15% of full-time military personnel live in PMQs. Many PMQs are being demolished or sold off, and as of 2016, the vacancy rate is over 10%. Accommodation in the private sector is becoming popular because rents are competitive, and many service personnel prefer to buy so that they can develop equity in their homes. In general, PMQs lack attractiveness. Since most PMQs were built in the 1950s, they lack insulation and many were built without basements or garages. The Canadian Forces Housing Agency has made some improvements.[8][4]

In 2016, the federal auditor general found that the Department of National Defence (DND) is unaware of how many PMQs it needs. The auditor general also found that rents have fallen to below-market levels for its 11,858 units, which is unfair to those renting privately.[4]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Acronym Finder (Permanent Married Quarters) Retrieved 29 May 2017
  2. ↑ Acronym Finder (Private Married Quarters) Retrieved 29 May 2017
  3. ↑ Canadian Army Wife - Acronyms & Definitions Retrieved 29 May 2017
  4. 1 2 3 4 Brewster, Murray. The Canadian Press. ‘’Up to 1,500 military housing units sit empty, auditor general says’’. February 2, 2016 Retrieved 31 May 2017
  5. ↑ United Church College of Military Chaplains Retrieved 29 May 2017
  6. ↑ Canadian Military Police Virtual Museum Retrieved 29 May 2017
  7. 1 2 Harrison, D. and L. Laliberté. No Life Like It - Military Wives in Canada. James Lorimer & Company, Toronto, 1994. pg 69-72. Retrieved 29 May 2017
  8. 1 2 Lament for the PMQ Retrieved 29 May 2017


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