August 20, 2020
The Armed Forces Retirement Home
Since the late 1700s, Congress has established numerous
Council, technical support for clinical and non-clinical
federal programs to provide housing, housing assistance,
functions, periodic inspections by the DOD Inspector
and health care support to certain wounded, ill, or injured
General, and administrative support.
servicemembers, military retirees, and other veterans. Some
of those programs included the establishment of military
Eligibility for Residency
asylums for temporarily or permanently disabled
Current statute (24 U.S.C. §412) defines eligibility for
servicemembers. Most military asylums have since closed
AFRH residency. In general, residents must meet one of the
or been transferred to the Department of Veterans Affairs
following eligibility requirements:
(VA) or state agencies that separately or jointly administer
age 60 or over and discharged or released from military
a variety of residential social support programs. Congress
service after 20 or more years of active service;
also later established the Armed Forces Retirement Home
suffering from a service-connected disability (as
(AFRH) as the only federal military retirement community.
determined by the AFRH COO) incurred during military
In so doing, AFRH absorbed two previously existing
service;
military asylums, later converted to Department of Defense-
served in a war theater during a time of war declared by
affiliated retirement homes. AFRH now provides residential
Congress, or were eligible for hostile fire, imminent
care to military retirees and certain other veterans.
danger, or hazardous duty pay; or
Background
served in a women’s component of the Armed Forces
prior to June 12, 1948, and meets certain eligibility
The Naval Home
criteria established by the AFRH COO.
On February 26, 1811, Congress directed the establishment
Non-military spouses may also be eligible for residency on
of Navy hospitals (2 Stat. 650). Then-Secretary of the Navy
a space-available basis. In fiscal year (FY) 2019, there were
Paul Hamilton utilized that authority to establish an interim
712 residents in total. Of those, 562 residents (79%)
Navy hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In 1834, the
required only domiciliary care (i.e., independent senior
hospital became an asylum, later renamed the Naval Home,
living), while 150 residents (21%) required at least part-
to provide for “decrepit and disabled naval officers,
seamen, and Marines.”
time nursing home care. At maximum capacity, the AFRH
In 1976, the Naval Home moved to
can accommodate at least 1,100 residents.
a new permanent site in Gulfport, Mississippi.
The Soldiers’ Home and Airmen’s Home
Retirement Home Services
On March 3, 1851, Congress directed the establishment of a
The AFRH offers five levels of care for eligible residents,
Military Asylum for the “relief and support of invalid and
each with varying requirements for non-medical support or
disabled Soldiers of the Army of the United States” (9 Stat.
limited skilled nursing care, including:
595). Washington, D.C., became the location of the primary
Independent Living—residents do not require assistance
asylum. Temporary facilities in Louisiana, Mississippi, and
with activities of daily living (ADL; i.e.,
Kentucky were also established and subsequently closed.
hygiene/grooming, medication administration,
Reorganizing into the AFRH
ambulating, eating/drinking, or dressing);
In 1990, Congress consolidated the two existing military
Independent Living Plus—residents require some
retirement homes into an independent federal agency
assistance with ADL;
known as the AFRH (P.L. 101-510 §1511) and
Assisted Living—residents receive regular assistance
subsequently renamed each respective site: AFRH-
with ADL and support by full-time nursing coverage;
Washington (which also houses the headquarters office)
Long-Term Care—residents with a chronic illness or
and AFRH-Gulfport.
disability receive full-time nursing coverage and
assistance with ADL;
Purpose & Organization
Memory Support—residents with cognitive deficiency
By law (24 U.S.C. §411), the purpose of the AFRH is to
receive full-time nursing coverage and assistance with
provide “residences and related services for certain retired
ADL.
and former members of the Armed Forces.” The AFRH is
The AFRH does not offer comprehensive nursing home,
led by a Secretary of Defense-appointed Chief Operating
long-term acute (inpatient) care, or hospice services. It
Officer (COO). Chapter 10 of Title 24, U.S. Code, assigns
partners with local VA medical centers and military
certain administrative and oversight responsibilities of the
treatment facilities to coordinate additional health care
AFRH to DOD. These responsibilities include appointment
services for residents.
of executive staff members and the AFRH Advisory
https://crsreports.congress.gov
link to page 2 
The Armed Forces Retirement Home
Figure 1. AFRH Appropriations, FY1991-FY2020
Source: Prepared by CRS. Based on a compilation of AFRH appropriations included in the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services,
Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act; Military Quality of Life and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act; or the Military
Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act; FY1991-2020.
Notes: FY2010 included additional funding for certain facility enhancements, including compliance with Americans with Disabilities Act
requirements. Figures are rounded.
Budget
the statutory purpose of the AFRH and considerations
The AFRH Trust Fund is the primary financial source for
regarding the necessity of a federally-funded military
the retirement home’s operations and maintenance. An
retirement community;
annual congressional appropriation typically made through
the feasibility of transferring the AFRH to another
the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and related
federal department/agency with similar responsibilities,
agencies appropriations bill is the largest contributor to the
functions, and programs; and/or
trust fund. Collected resident fees, financial gifts and
an expansion of the AFRH’s capability and capacity to
donations, real property leasing revenue, certain fines and
serve more eligible military retirees, veterans, or family
forfeitures levied under the Uniform Code of Military
members.
Justice, and a mandatory payroll contribution of $0.50 per
month (authorized to be no more than $1.00 per month)
Relevant Statutes, Regulations, and Policies
from all enlisted military servicemembers, warrant officers,
and limited duty officers contributes to the AFRH Trust
Chapter 10, Title 24, U.S. Code
Fund. Figure 1 shows congressional appropriations for the
Chapter XI, Title 5, U.S. Code of Federal Regulations
AFRH since FY1991. For FY2020, Congress appropriated
DOD Instruction 1000.29, Armed Forces Retirement Home
$75.3 million to the AFRH Trust Fund. Of that amount, $12
(AFRH), updated October 5, 2018
million was designated for construction and renovation
purposes. Since 2016, Congress also designated $22 million
CRS Products
in each fiscal year’s appropriation to support the long-term
CRS Report R44697, Long-Term Care Services for Veterans, by
stability of the AFRH Trust Fund.
Kirsten J. Colello and Sidath Viranga Panangala
AFRH Outlook
CRS In Focus IF10555, Introduction to Veterans Health Care, by
Sidath Viranga Panangala and Jared S. Sussman
The AFRH is a unique federal entity that offers many
CRS In Focus IF10530, Defense Primer: Military Health System,
similar housing and health care support and benefits as
by Bryce H. P. Mendez
other cabinet-level federal departments (e.g., DOD, VA,
Department of Housing and Urban Development). Based on
Other Resources
current eligibility requirements and infrastructure capacity,
DOD Inspector General, Armed Forces Retirement Home
the AFRH could support <1% of the eligible military retiree
Support Functions, DODIG-2018-153, September 24, 2018
or veteran population. Based on its Vision 2035 strategic
plan, the AFRH intends to “plan for and methodically
DOD Inspector General, Financial Management and Contract
address our aging and outdated infrastructure and to
Award and Administration for the Armed Forces Retirement Home,
accommodate shifting industry trends and generational life
DODIG-2018-077, February 21, 2018
preferences.” Such efforts include the formation of
Government Accountability Office, Armed Forces Retirement
multigenerational veteran communities, dynamic living
Home: Health Care Oversight Should be Strengthened, GAO-07-
environments, and local and geographic expansion.
790R, May 30, 2007
As annual appropriations and authorizing legislation are
considered for the AFRH, Congress may conduct additional
oversight activities to evaluate a variety of issues, such as:
Bryce H. P. Mendez, Analyst in Defense Health Care
Policy
IF11626
https://crsreports.congress.gov
The Armed Forces Retirement Home
Disclaimer
This document was prepared by the Congressional Research Service (CRS). CRS serves as nonpartisan shared staff to
congressional committees and Members of Congress. It operates solely at the behest of and under the direction of Congress.
Information in a CRS Report should not be relied upon for purposes other than public understanding of information that has
been provided by CRS to Members of Congress in connection with CRS’s institutional role. CRS Reports, as a work of the
United States Government, are not subject to copyright protection in the United States. Any CRS Report may be
reproduced and distributed in its entirety without permission from CRS. However, as a CRS Report may include
copyrighted images or material from a third party, you may need to obtain the permission of the copyright holder if you
wish to copy or otherwise use copyrighted material.
https://crsreports.congress.gov | IF11626 · VERSION 1 · NEW