The U.S. Navy is looking outside the military to address its need for temporary housing as it renovates barracks and vacates service members who previously lived in them.
The service published a Request for Information on Friday asking industry partners to help provide solutions for how to address a shortage of several thousand beds and build unaccompanied housing for sailors who will need a place to stay while their living quarters are modernized.
“Improving living conditions is a top priority for the Navy, but comprehensive upgrades require significant structural work,” the service said in an emailed statement. “Utilizing temporary housing, which are often referred to as swing space, is a critical step. It allows the Navy to proceed with massive construction projects on schedule while ensuring Sailors are not displaced into subpar accommodations during the transition.”
The request says that possible housing quarters may include prefabricated units, containerized units, RVs, leased commercial apartments, hotels or houseboats, among other options.
Ensuring service members are comfortable in their homes has been front of mind for the Defense Department.
The military created the Barracks Task Force in October 2025 to address unaccompanied housing requirements and improve living conditions across all services.
And the Navy announced in December 2025 that it was directing $375 million it received through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act toward barracks improvements at 56 installations.
Less than a month later, Naval Support Activity Bahrain began a $15.8 million unaccompanied housing modernization project.
Looking toward the future, the Pentagon proposed a $26.8 billion military construction budget for fiscal 2027 that includes $21.5 billion for barracks for the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force and Space Force. The haul of money is intended as an investment to address long-needed maintenance and repairs.
Navy leadership continues to prioritize housing improvements.
Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao recently toured the barracks at Marine Corps Base Hawaii, speaking with sailors and Marines and viewing unaccompanied housing modernization efforts.
Riley Ceder is a reporter at Military Times, where he covers breaking news, criminal justice, investigations, and cyber. He previously worked as an investigative practicum student at The Washington Post, where he contributed to the Abused by the Badge investigation.