Updated June 7, 2021
The Armed Forces Retirement Home
Since the late 1700s, Congress has established numerous
technical support for clinical and non-clinical functions,
federal programs to provide housing, housing assistance,
periodic inspections by the DOD Inspector General, and
and health care support to certain wounded, ill, or injured
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 Chief Operating Officer
In so doing, AFRH absorbed two previously existing
[COO]) incurred during military service;
military asylums, later converted to Department of Defense
served in a war theater during a time of war declared by
(DOD)-affiliated retirement homes. AFRH now provides
Congress, or were eligible for hostile fire, imminent
residential care to military retirees and certain other
danger, or hazardous duty pay; or
veterans.
served in a women’s component of the Armed Forces
Background
prior to June 12, 1948, and meets certain eligibility
criteria established by the AFRH COO.
The Naval Home
Non-military spouses may also be eligible for residency on
On February 26, 1811, Congress directed the establishment
a space-available basis. In fiscal year (FY) 2020, there were
of Navy hospitals (2 Stat. 650). Then-Secretary of the
649 residents in total. Of those, 507 residents (78%)
Navy, Paul Hamilton, utilized that authority to establish an
required only domiciliary care (i.e., independent senior
interim Navy hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In
living), while 142 residents (22%) required at least part-
1834, the hospital became an asylum, later renamed the
time nursing home care. At maximum capacity, the AFRH
Naval Home, to provide for “decrepit and disabled naval
officers, seamen, and Marines.”
can accommodate at least 1,100 residents.
In 1976, the Naval Home
moved to a new permanent site in Gulfport, Mississippi.
Retirement Home Services
The Soldiers’ Home and Airmen’s Home
The AFRH offers five levels of care for eligible residents,
On March 3, 1851, Congress directed the establishment of a
each with varying requirements for non-medical support or
Military Asylum for the “relief and support of invalid and
limited skilled nursing care, including:
disabled Soldiers of the Army of the United States” (9 Stat.
Independent Living—residents do not require assistance
595). Washington, D.C., became the location of the primary
with activities of daily living (ADL; i.e.,
asylum. Temporary facilities in Louisiana, Mississippi, and
hygiene/grooming, medication administration,
Kentucky were also established and subsequently closed.
ambulating, eating/drinking, or dressing);
Reorganizing into the AFRH
Independent Living Plus—residents require some
In 1990, Congress consolidated the two existing military
assistance with ADL;
retirement homes into an independent federal agency
Assisted Living—residents receive regular assistance
known as the AFRH (P.L. 101-510 §1511) and
with ADL and support by full-time nursing coverage;
subsequently renamed each respective site: AFRH-
Long-Term Care—residents with a chronic illness or
Washington (which also houses the headquarters office)
disability receive full-time nursing coverage and
and AFRH-Gulfport.
assistance with ADL;
Memory Support—residents with cognitive deficiency
Purpose & Organization
receive full-time nursing coverage and assistance with
By law (24 U.S.C. §411), the purpose of the AFRH is to
ADL.
provide “residences and related services for certain retired
and former members of the Armed Forces.”
The AFRH does not offer comprehensive nursing home,
A Secretary of
long-term acute (inpatient) care, or hospice services. It
Defense-appointed Chief Executive Officer leads the
partners with local VA medical centers and military
AFRH. Chapter 10 of Title 24, U.S. Code, assigns certain
treatment facilities to coordinate additional health care
administrative and oversight responsibilities of the AFRH
services for residents.
to DOD. These responsibilities include appointment of
executive staff members and the AFRH Advisory Council,
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The Armed Forces Retirement Home
Figure 1. AFRH Appropriations, FY1991-FY2021
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; FY1991-2021.
Notes: Figures are rounded. FY2010 included additional funding for certain facility enhancements, including compliance with Americans with
Disabilities Act requirements. FY2021 included $2.8 mil ion in supplemental funding from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security
(CARES) Act (P.L. 116-136).
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 FY2021, Congress appropriated
DOD Instruction 1000.29, Armed Forces Retirement Home
$75.3 million for AFRH operations and maintenance. Of
(AFRH), updated October 5, 2018
that amount, Congress designated $9 million for
construction and renovation purposes. Since 2016,
CRS Products
Congress also designated $22 million in each fiscal year’s
CRS Report R44697, Long-Term Care Services for Veterans, by
appropriation to support the long-term stability of the
Kirsten J. Colello and Sidath Viranga Panangala
AFRH Trust Fund.
CRS In Focus IF10555, Introduction to Veterans Health Care, by
AFRH Outlook
Sidath Viranga Panangala and Jared S. Sussman
CRS In Focus IF10530, Defense Primer: Military Health System,
The AFRH is a unique federal entity that offers many
by Bryce H. P. Mendez
similar housing and health care support and benefits as
other cabinet-level federal departments (e.g., DOD, VA,
Other Resources
Department of Housing and Urban Development). Based on
DOD Inspector General, Armed Forces Retirement Home
current eligibility requirements and infrastructure capacity,
Support Functions, DODIG-2018-153, September 24, 2018
the AFRH could support <1% of the eligible military retiree
or veteran population. Based on its Vision 2035 strategic
DOD Inspector General, Financial Management and Contract
plan, the AFRH intends to “plan for and methodically
Award and Administration for the Armed Forces Retirement Home,
address our aging and outdated infrastructure and to
DODIG-2018-077, February 21, 2018
accommodate shifting industry trends and generational life
Government Accountability Office, Armed Forces Retirement
preferences.” Such efforts include the formation of
Home: Health Care Oversight Should be Strengthened, GAO-07-
multigenerational veteran communities, dynamic living
790R, May 30, 2007
environments, and local and geographic expansion.
As annual appropriations and authorizing legislation are
considered for the AFRH, Congress may conduct additional
Bryce H. P. Mendez, Analyst in Defense Health Care
oversight activities to evaluate a variety of issues, such as:
Policy
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The Armed Forces Retirement Home
IF11626
Disclaimer
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