Servicemembers required to complete OHA/MIHA survey Published Oct. 22, 2007 ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, Guam -- The annual Overseas Housing Allowance Utility and Move in Expense survey for uniformed servicemembers will be available online from Oct. 22 to Nov. 21 on a secure Web site at https://www.perdiem.osd.mil/oha/survey/octoha.html. All service members who reside in privately leased quarters and are receiving OHA are required to complete this survey. This annual survey is conducted to collect utility/recurring maintenance and move-in expense data from servicemembers. This data is used to compute OHA Utility/Recurring Maintenance Allowance and MIHA for servicemembers worldwide. Deadline to complete the survey is Nov. 21. Response to this survey will be held in strictest confidence. For more information, contact Yvonne Whitley at 339-5303 or e-mail yvonne.whitley@guam.navy.mil. Please do not take the survey until the actual operational date as surveys submitted before then will not be considered. BACKGROUND Once every three years, the Per Diem Travel and Transportation Allowance Committee conducts the OHA Utility and Move In Expenses Survey to collect utility/recurring maintenance and move in expense data from servicemembers who receive an Overseas Housing Allowance. PDTATAC uses this data to compute the OHA Utility/Recurring Maintenance Allowance and Move In Housing Allowance for servicemembers worldwide. The information provided is used to update Overseas Housing Allowance utility/recurring maintenance and MIHA/Miscellaneous rates for your area. The rates are based on the typical costs incurred by servicemembers living in countries outside the continental United States who live off-post or base, have a private lease, and receive an Overseas Housing Allowance. MIHA/Miscellaneous is a fixed-rate one time payment that reflects average expenditures made by members to make their overseas housing habitable. Utility/recurring maintenance allowance is paid monthly to defray utility expenses incurred by the member. It is important that accurate figures be provided in the OHA Survey. We recommend that the Service member use records and receipts to accurately determine the amounts actually spent. The Overseas Housing Allowance is a valuable entitlement for members who are stationed overseas. The time and effort spent answering the survey questions will enable the Department of Defense to set equitable OHA utility and MIHA rates. THE OHA SURVEY All servicemembers who reside in privately leased quarters overseas and receive an Overseas Housing Allowance will have an opportunity to complete the survey on the internet. No outside contractors will be involved in the survey. The questionnaire will be similar in scope to previous surveys. The utility portion will ask Service members to report the average monthly cost of utilities and routine maintenance and the MIHA portion will ask member to report the costs incurred when first moving into their leased residence. If possible, it is recommended that respondents take the survey with their spouses. To complete the online survey, servicemembers will be asked for the last four digits of their social security numbers. Responses are held in strictest confidence and not shared with any other office or agency. UTILITY PORTION To complete the surveys, respondents should have actual bills or records of their utility expenses and maintenance expenses for the last twelve months. They will be expected to compute a monthly AVERAGE for each of these expenses. MIHA PORTION Respondents should have actual bills or records of expenses incurred when first moving into their residence. If expenses not listed in the survey are reported, a brief description should be included. YOUR ROLE You can support the survey process by getting the word out to the commands that the survey is being fielded and that members should make every effort to both take the survey and reflect actual incurred expenses.