The men and women stationed at MacDill Air Force Base help keep our nation safe. But a Tampa Bay 28 I-Team investigation reveals why many of them fear for the safety of their own families.

Service members invited I-Team Reporter Kylie McGivern on base to see the conditions inside military housing. She shares her visits to their homes and their stories, families on the inside who said they had no choice but to get out.

WATCH: Families living on MacDill Air Force Base come forward with concerns about mold

Entering the gates of a military base, the community at MacDill seems well-protected.

The I-Team met with service members from three different branches who had the same concerns.

"You think coming onto a military base, they're going to take care of you," Coast Guard Lt. Erick Proveaux told the I-Team. "While we're out doing the job, right. Your family is safe. Your kids are safe."

"You get provided security from, you know, outside, and then you also entrust the people inside to give you the same level of security," Air Force Tech. Sgt. Juan Torres said.

They've got difficult jobs that they're doing. Everybody on this base," Army Maj. John Jensen said.

Families living on base told the I-Team they've been fighting a battle against a hidden enemy.

"We couldn't figure out what's going on," Jensen said. My daughter coughed consistently for the last two, three years."

Jensen uncovered a problem right under his feet.

"We were doing the second mold inspection. The boards were already starting to buckle. One board had kind of come up and popped and we kind of looked under it and it was in this area that we found some of the mold and I was thinking like... well how far does it go?" Jensen said. "And then it just help going."

Jensen invited the I-Team in after getting his family out.

We got out of here in five days," he said.

Jensen said his family took what they could and left the rest at the curb, with a warning: "Caution: Mold Exposure."

We didn't want to believe it. I didn't want to believe it," Jensen said.

He didn't want to believe that there was mold in Harbor Bay, privatized family housing on base.

Families first began contacting the I-Team in March, months before a letter came to light, addressed to the Secretary of Defense and signed by 14 bipartisan members of Congress, "to express urgent concern".

The letter says their offices have met with families stationed at several bases, including MacDill, and "all detailed three common trends: exposure to toxic mold, the development of serious medical conditions, and loss of property due to contamination."

We are supposed to protect Lily, and you know, she's suffering in this every day for four years," Jensen said of his daughter.

The I-Team obtained a copy of the work orders and found, nearly three weeks before meeting with Jensen, Harbor Bay had his home inspected after he "Pulled a picture off the wall and found water damage and mold growth".

The order notes:

Michael Rubino, an expert in indoor air quality and mold remediation, showed the I-Team some of the problems he found in Jensen's home.

"All this mold and bacteria that can fester in this area because of the condensation, then gets drawn back up into the machine and then distributed across the house," Rubino said.

Jensen pointed out that every service member spends a lot of time at work.

"They have hard, complex jobs that they're working, and then they've got to come home and then stop all of that, and deal with this," he said, pointing to his floor.

Jensen's neighbor, Proveaux, went over to Jensen's home when the I-Team was there to share his own struggle.

This is the inside of my HVAC system," Proveaux said, pulling up pictures. This is whats being blown around my house.

I move in here and five months later start having the worst health problems Ive ever had in my life," he said.

Proveaux has since moved his family from the home.

He outlined his concerns in an email to The Michaels Organization, which owns Harbor Bay, saying, The amount of mold in this unit was unbelievable and scary and in my opinion contributed to our consistent health problems.

When the I-Team contacted Michaels, the organization would not agree to an interview, answer questions, or address the work done on the homes of these three now former residents. Instead, a Michaels and Harbor Bay at MacDill spokesperson emailed this statement:

"Its all been sampled, its all been confirmed that its mold," Rubino told the I-Team.

Rubino was brought in to inspect homes in Harbor Bay by Just Well Law, based in Austin, Texas. The law firm has been meeting with dozens of families who are considering legal action, including Torres.

It began in 21, 2021," Torres said. "We noticed there was like this moldy, mildew smell and were like ok, can we get a work order, can we get this fixed? They came in, they did their cleaning, they cleaned the vents, they said theres no mold, and were were like OK, well, I guess you guys fixed the problem. But no.

Showing the I-Team through the house he called home for four years, before turning the keys back over, he said, "You come over here, they tested this wall as well, they put a camera through there, there is mold in there, theres mold under the floors right here."

Torres said at that point, "Something just clicked. That's why were sick."

Torres said he has to speak up.

"You need integrity to do the right thing when nobodys looking. You need courage to do the right thing when everybodys looking. And thats part of the reason Im doing this," he said.

After that, Torres and the I-Team left the home, a chapter he is grateful to close the door on, but says the story isn't over.

The I-Team asked Torres if a representative from Harbor Bay was sitting there, what would he want to tell them?

"I would tell them, 'Would you put your family and yourself in this house? For four years? And if not, then how would you fix it to put your family in there? And that's what they have to do to get it right," Torres said.

MacDill Air Force Base Spokesperson:

A U.S. Congressman is promising action for families living on MacDill Air Force Base who are concerned about mold, following a Tampa Bay 28 I-Team investigation.

Families living on MacDill Air Force Base come forward with concerns about mold

The I-Team spent months talking with military families who now say they need someone to fight for them.

Watch full report from Kylie McGivern

These are our heroes and they need to have a place to stay. We owe them that and also their families," Rep. Bilirakis (R-FL) told the I-Team. "To see the pictures of the service members uncovering the mold and then hearing about the families being sick, its just unacceptable. And were going to focus on fixing this. I promise you that.

The Palm Harbor republican was disturbed seeing the conditions the I-Team exposed inside base housing at MacDill.

Three different service members came forward, sharing the same concerns about the presence of mold, the health of their families, and the lack of action, they say, to improve living conditions.

The I-Team asked Bilirakis, after watching the report, to see if there were continued concerns, whether it was anger, frustration, or what went through his mind.

"All of it. Because weve been working on this for several years, there were some improvements, but obviously they werent permanent improvements," he said.

In 2019, Rep. Bilirakis launched a Congressional inquiry into mold concerns at MacDill and toured homes on base, calling for an informal investigation.

He thought the problems were fixed.

Then he saw the I-Team's video.

I want to thank you, its very helpful when the media gets involved. And this is a no-brainer. This should not happen. And having those visuals will give me the ammunition I need to get this fixed," Bilirakis said.

Harbor Bay at MacDill is privatized base housing, owned by The Michaels Organization.

Were going to get on this private company as well, but Im going to talk directly to the defense secretary, Hegseth, about this. Theres no excuse. No excuse," Bilirakis said.

The congressman's concerns echo those outlined in a recent letter addressed to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and signed by 14 bipartisan members of Congress "to express urgent concern."

It says their offices have met with families stationed at several bases, including MacDill, and "all detailed 3 common trends: Exposure to toxic mold, the development of serious medical conditions and loss of property due to contamination."

When the I-Team contacted Michaels, the organization would not agree to an interview, answer questions, or address the work done on the homes of these three now former residents. Instead, a Michaels and Harbor Bay at MacDill spokesperson emailed this statement:

They need to be vetted better. And there needs to be oversight," Bilirakis said.

I-Team Reporter Kylie McGivern: So youre confident, you said you promise there will be some sort of fix on this.

U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis: Absolutely.

MacDill Air Force Base Spokesperson:

Our service members and their families are our number one priority, and we take complaints of any kind very seriously. As part of our responsibilities, installation leadership works to resolve resident/project owner disputes utilizing all command authorities necessary, to include providing legal support to military members, and elevates unresolved disputes with the Project Owner to AFCEC."

"The installation commander oversees Michaels performance and provides a quarterly evaluation to Air Force Civil Engineer Center for Installations (AFCEC) and senior Air Force leaders to use as key process indicators in determining the effectiveness of privatized housing at the installation. Some of the criteria evaluated include quality of customer experience, resident feedback, and work order responsiveness, etc. MacDill leadership took the extra steps of requesting additional criteria in January that has been included in subsequent commanders evaluations:

Installation leadership holds Michaels, as the Project Owner, accountable to their contract through command and contractual authorities, including the withhold of incentives, in order to best care for our service members and their families."

"Installation leadership provides a quarterly evaluation that acts as a recommendation to the Air Force Civil Engineer Center for Installations (AFCEC) for actions to take, like withholding incentives. Current installation leadership has recommended and AFCEC has withheld incentives for the last two quarters in a row, with a third pending AFCECs validation now."

Families who lived on base at MacDill have filed a lawsuit against The Michaels Organization, the company that owns and runs its privatized housing, Harbor Bay.

Those 39 military families claim they lived in mold-ridden homes and their pleas for help were met with corporate indifference. The complaint states the defendants have a cartel-like hold on the housing monopoly.

The lawsuit alleges fraud, negligence, and health problems suffered by service members and their families.

Watch full report from Kylie McGivern

Tampa Bay 28 I-Team Reporter Kylie McGivern broke the story last week, taking you inside three of those homes.

Read Kylie McGivern's previous coverage on MacDill Air Force Base:

The 218-page lawsuit reads like a book and tells the stories of families who claim they didn't know they were living with toxic mold until they developed health problems they couldn't explain.

I literally felt like I was dying. For months. Months," Coast Guard Lt. Erick Proveaux told the I-Team.

The lawsuit says, in the Spring of 2024, Lt. Proveaux's health deteriorated, including "blood-pressure spikes that led to multiple emergency room visits and a three-day hospitalization."

According to the suit, in June 2025, an independent inspector tested and inspected his home and "think mold coated the entire HVAC system, and the home was deemed 'unfit for human occupancy'."

Lt. Proveaux made several calls to report the problem and when Harbor Bay eventually sent a contractor to the home, according to the lawsuit, "the workers told Proveaux that as soon as they opened the panel, the smell nearby knocked them off their feet."

The suit says, "They also asked if they could pray for him and his family."

Army Maj. John Jensen is another plaintiff in the lawsuit.

My daughter coughed like consistently for the last two, three years," he said.

Before moving into his home in 2021, the lawsuit says the Harbor Bay housing office told Jensen that they needed time to "turn the house" from the previous tenant.

Jensen's wife Amanda "suffered from debilitating migraines" and "now experiences tremors requiring neurological treatment" according to the suit. Jensen "experienced fatigue and mental health issues" and their daughter "developed respiratory issues at Thanksgiving 2024 that persisted until they vacated the home."

On the day of their move-out, the Jensens received the seven-year history of their home from Harbor Bay. According to the lawsuit, the document revealed the home had been flooded and underwent purported remediation immediately before their move-in, and "that previous tenants had reported mold, with one writing, 'My wife and I have been sick. Can you check for mold'."

"There wasn't, 'Hey, we acknowledge that there's mold in your house. That's a problem on post,' you know, nothing, nothing. Nothing. It's silence. The silence is deafening," Maj. Jensen said when he invited the I-Team into his home before turning over the keys.

Air Force Tech. Sgt. Juan Torres also moved his family into Harbor Bay in 2021.

This is a four year, like commitment. Where I said, 'I trust you with my life, I trust you with my health.' And you know, it's just gone," he told the I-Team.

The lawsuit says in June 2025, "the Torres family hired a third-party mold inspector. Testing revealed extremely toxic levels of mold throughout the home, including Stachybotrys black mold in the HVAC system."

Torres said he was in shock when he found out.

"I was in shock because my wife would tell me all these things about being sick and her headaches getting worse over time and Im like, well maybe its the weather. Maybe it is the allergies," Torres said.

He told the I-Team, up until the point of the test results, he was a skeptic.

"It takes you to a moment where you're like, I can't believe that the people that I entrusted my family to, fail me. And makes you angry," Torres said.

At 5 p.m. on Monday, a spokesperson for The Michaels Organization and Harbor Bay at MacDill emailed the I-Team the following statement:

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for MacDill Air Force Base told the I-Team in an emailed statement:

According to the lawsuit, The Michaels Organization took over ownership of a company that had a 50-year lease to privatize military housing at MacDill in 2021. That agreement is not due to expire until the year 2057.

Michaels Lawsuit Filed by ABC Action News

U.S. Representative Kathy Castor (D-FL) is calling for an end to the contract with the housing provider for MacDill Air Force Base, saying The Michaels Organization needs to pay the price, after the Tampa Bay 28 I-Team went inside the military housing and shared the stories of families who believe toxic mold made them sick.

They need to suffer the consequences now. They've let us down. They let they've let the country down. They've let these families down," Rep. Castor said.

Full report from Kylie McGivern

MORE: Families living on MacDill Air Force Base come forward with concerns about mold

After hearing service members' stories and seeing the I-Team's video, Rep. Castor said enough.

"I'm outraged. I continue to be outraged at the failure of the Michaels company and Harbor Bay to make timely repairs, and this has gone on for years," Rep. Castor said.

'There's no excuse': Congressman promises action for MacDill Air Force Base families concerned about mold

In 2019, there were congressional hearings and another lawsuit regarding concerns about mold at MacDill.

"This contractor has dropped the ball. They're probably the worst across the entire country. Is what I've heard from the folks who have governed military installations," Rep. Castor told the I-Team. They are the poster child for failure.

In the FY 2020 National Defense Authorization Act, Rep. Castor championed the Tenant Bill of Rights, meant to ensure safe and well-maintained housing for military families.

Then, in January of this year, Rep. Castor wrote a letter to Michaels regarding the organization's "failure to repair Harbor Bay housing" following hurricanes.

In the 3-page letter, she wrote, Harbor Bay previously dragged its feet to remediate mold and mildew" and It is incredibly disheartening to hear that the longstanding housing issues at Harbor Bay have persisted and worsened.

Rep. Castor stated, "... reports of substandard conditions of on-base Harbor Bay housing are unacceptable.

Rep. Castor told the I-Team, "The problem has been that they have a contract."

Military families file lawsuit against privatized base housing owner at MacDill over 'toxic mold'

According to a 218-page lawsuit filed on September 26 against Michaels, the organization took over ownership of a company that had a 50-year lease to privatize military housing at MacDill. That agreement is not due to expire until the year 2057.

Michaels Lawsuit Filed by ABC Action News

They have not lived up to their contract, and they're at a point now where they're about to suffer the consequences. It's taken too long, we have pressed this contractor for many years, and they, they need to be held accountable," Rep. Castor said. It's working with Col. Szczepanik, the commanding officer at the base, to make sure that all the i's are dotted and t's are crossed to make sure that this contract comes to an end, the Armed Services Committee and other members of Congress were focused on this happening at military installations across the country, but unfortunately, what has happened here at Harbor Bay, they're the worst of the worst. I'm going to follow the lawsuit filed by the families, Im ready and willing to turn over all my communications over the years with families and the base commander and trying to get Harbor Bays attention on this to make sure that that's if that's helpful to their lawsuit, to do that, and just to make sure that our military families have everything they need to serve our country and to take care of their families.

The I-Team contacted Michaels to give the organization an opportunity to respond to Rep. Castor's comments.

In an email, a spokesperson for Michaels and Harbor Bay at MacDill told the I-Team:

As for MacDill, the base says its leadership remains actively engaged in holding Michaels accountable to its contract.

In a statement, U.S. Air Force Col. Ed Szczepanik, 6 Air Refueling Wing Commander told the I-Team:

A Tampa Bay 28 I-Team Investigation has the attention of top officials in Washington.

Earlier this year, the I-Team took you inside base housing at MacDill Air Force Base to show the conditions families say made them sick.

Watch update from Kylie McGivern

Families living on MacDill Air Force Base come forward with concerns about mold

Military families file lawsuit against privatized base housing owner at MacDill over 'toxic mold'

U.S. Representative Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) promised to take action after seeing the I-Team investigation into mold at MacDill.

'There's no excuse': Congressman promises action for MacDill Air Force Base families concerned about mold

'Worst of the worst': U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor calls for end to contract with MacDill's base housing provider

The Palm Harbor Republican met with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Air Force Secretary Troy Meink last week to discuss ongoing mold issues at Harbor Bay, the privatized family housing run by The Michaels Organization at MacDill Air Force Base.

"The Trump administration is aware of this, and we're going to get this done. We're going to fix this," Bilirakis said.

In September, 39 families filed a lawsuit against The Michaels Organization, claiming they lived in mold-ridden homes and alleging fraud, negligence and health problems.

This marks the second time Bilirakis has pushed for solutions to mold issues at MacDill. In 2019, he launched a congressional inquiry into mold concerns on the base and toured homes, calling for a formal investigation. He believed the problems had been resolved until he saw the video from the I-Team.

Following his meetings with officials, Bilirakis told the I-Team that Harbor Bay is under an "accelerated performance plan."

"Harbor Bay is basically on probation. So, if they don't live up to their performance contract, then they will be terminated. And rightly so. So, you know, we're making progress. I'm going to continue to stay on it. I promise you that," Bilirakis said.

The housing company is required to submit its first set of action items this week. Bilirakis has requested a copy of what was submitted.

When asked about service members and families who have lost trust after years of unfulfilled promises, Bilirakis acknowledged their frustration.

"Just let them know that we're fighting for them. And we're on it," Bilirakis said.

Bilirakis said he wants to see what the improvements are from The Michaels Organization.

"But, I mean, we've given them many, many chances, and they haven't complied. So I believe that they have to be out," Bilirakis said.

Defense Secretary Hegseth, according to Bilirakis, is familiar with the situation and can identify with military families' housing concerns from his own military experience.

"I will tell you that he really fights for the warfighter. So, you know, he sees this, he can identify with this issue. Because he was in their place at one particular time," Bilirakis said.

The lawsuit against The Michaels Organization continues to move forward as families seek accountability for the alleged health impacts and substandard living conditions.

A spokesperson for The Michaels Organization told the I-Team, We are in full cooperation, and continue to engage constructively, with our partners in the Air Force and base leadership to ensure the well-being of our Harbor Bay residents, staff, and community. We take all residents concerns very seriously, and their safety and security remain our top priority.

More military families at MacDill Air Force Base are coming forward to the Tampa Bay 28 I-Team, speaking out about mold conditions they say are making them sick, as the contractor managing their housing faces increased scrutiny from the Air Force.

The Michaels Organization, which manages Harbor Bay at MacDill, has been placed on a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) after multiple problems were identified, according to an Air Force spokesperson.

Watch report from Kylie McGivern

"We look to our project owner partners to take care of issues so our Airmen and Guardians can focus on the mission," the Air Force spokesperson said in a statement. "The Michaels Organization was placed on a PIP following multiple problems identified across their portfolio that raised life, health and safety issues."

The plan contains action items, milestones and schedules for Michaels to address what the Air Force described as unsatisfactory performance of management and maintenance operations at MacDill Air Force Base. The phases will address improving maintenance quality and oversight, operational consistency and improving moisture mitigation.

Watch I-Team investigator Kylie McGivern speak to anchor Paul Lagrone about mold at MacDill

The Air Force said there is no set timeline for the performance improvement plan, and that it is "dependent upon Michaels Organization successfully addressing and completing all benchmarks and milestones" as the Air Force provides oversight.

The move comes after military families first met with I-Team Reporter Kylie McGivern a year ago and then invited her into their homes on base, to show the living conditions.

Since then, McGivern spoke with multiple government officials about the mold.

Gerry Matos Negron joined the Army after watching the September 11 attacks unfold on television while he was in college in Puerto Rico.

"This was the catalyst to make me serve the country," Matos Negron said.

His goal was to serve for 30 years. He will not make it.

"I started my medical retirement," Matos Negron said. "I got sick out of nowhere."

Matos Negron said he didn't have any strength in his hands.

"Everything was falling out of my hand," he said. "I was unable to, kind of like, undress a simple shirt or even brush my teeth."

After visiting the clinic, Matos Negron says his wife asked the doctor whether there could be any connection to mold in their home.

"There's a possibility that that triggers your husband's autoimmune disease," Matos Negron said, recounting what the doctor told them.

One of his 11-year-old twin boys, he says, has not stopped coughing.

"The pediatrician, he asked me, 'Are you in the mold situation, or do you live in the mold?' I said, 'As a matter of fact, I am," Matos Negron said.

Matos Negron pointed to conditions inside his home.

"You can see over there on the top of the vent it's still growing," Matos Negron said, and pointed to an area in his kitchen.

Matos Negron described what happened when he called housing.

We have some kind of mold. They came here on the same day and they look, oh, that's not mold. They just wipe it up, liquid Clorox or something, they brush it out and say, 'don't worry, I'm going to put another another filter or another seal.' And then it goes back again. So these are the things that kind of like break the trust. Of the company that runs the housing. Because we call them, I need a service, I have a health situation in my kitchen, I need your help. And then they come here and they just flush it and say, 'Oh, that's not mold. Don't worry about it," Matos Negron said. "Then suddenly things start kind of like coming up and building upon and I started losing my trust with the system."

Matos Negron said he's always wanted to advocate for other soldiers after climbing the ranks to Sergeant Major.

"It's only 1% of the enlisted force that reaches this level," he said.

He just never imagined, he said, that he would be advocating in this way.

I'm not going to stay silent," Matos Negron said.

Josh Rachal, owner of Texas Mold Inspectors, has been inspecting homes on MacDill over the past year as part of a lawsuit filed against The Michaels Organization.

"No mold should be growing in anyone's home. None," Rachal said.

Rachal said he has inspected approximately 60 homes on MacDill Air Force Base so far, including the Matos Negron and Ewing family homes.

"Every single home I've entered, I have found conditions that really are unfit for humans," Rachal said.

Photos taken inside the Matos Negron family's HVAC unit during Rachal's inspection, and provided by Just Well Law, show what Rachal described as significant mold growth.

"I observed carpet-like mold growth inside of that HVAC system," Rachal said.

Matos Negron said Rachal's reaction during the inspection was alarming.

He was ringing all the bells," Matos Negron said. "You need to move out of here. This is not a safe house for you."

Rachal said he is committed to continuing his work on the base.

"If it takes turning that Air Force base into a ghost town, that's fine I'll go to every home," Rachal said, referencing homes that are vacant from families moving out. "But they need to tell the families the truth about the conditions they're living in."

Matos Negron's concerns are echoed in a 218-page lawsuit filed in September against The Michaels Organization. The suit includes 39 families claiming they lived in mold-ridden homes and that their pleas for help were met with "corporate indifference." The lawsuit alleges fraud, negligence and health problems.

The Matos Negron family is planning their move. Others tell the I-Team they cannot afford to leave.

Lauren Ewing says her family is stuck.

"We can't move off base," Ewing told the I-Team.

Ewing said her daughter's asthma has worsened since her family was stationed at MacDill.

"She has missed school a lot more than she has ever had since being stationed here," Ewing said. "Last year alone, she missed 16 days of school."

Ewing says she has also experienced new health problems of her own.

"I've never been diagnosed with anxiety, high blood pressure, any of that until I came here," Ewing said.

Ewing is 37 years old.

"I feel like my body should not feel like I'm a senior citizen," she said. "The body aches and pains that I'm feeling is something that I've also experienced since I've been here."

Ewing recalled noticing mold growing in her kitchen drawers and on the utensils.

"When all of this stuff happened, they tried to write it off like it wasn't a big deal. They put us out for a couple of months, dried out the walls, fixed whatever they had to fix, and put us back in the home, and here we are today," Ewing said.

Standing in her daughter's bedroom, looking up at the air vent directly above the bed, Ewing said, "When she gets sick she says she feels like she can't breathe...so, you know she's using her inhaler, she's using multiple things to get better, but now that I'm seeing this it's like is it is it even helping?"

"I'm disgusted. I'm mad," Ewing said. "It's not OK, it's not, like come on, it's children."

Ewing said the scope of the problem became clearer when she saw signs posted on a neighbor's furniture.

"They had these huge signs posted on their furniture that said, toxic mold do not touch, that's when it came to it came to reality," Ewing said.

Ewing pointed to nearby homes.

"My neighbors next door, the house to the left of us is completely empty due to the mold. The people on the corner are currently displaced, due to mold," Ewing said.

Ewing says she is concerned that new families are being moved into homes as others leave.

"As fast as these families are moving out, they're moving more families in," Ewing said.

Despite the toll the situation has taken, both families say they will not stay silent.

"There's a lot of families out there who are afraid to speak up," Ewing said. "If we don't speak up, no one's going to do it for us."

Matos Negron said he never thought he'd be speaking with a reporter.

"Not in a lifetime," Matos Negron said. "My concern is my family, but it's the person next after me, that family."

Matos Negron said he has no fear of their story.

"It's not my story, it's my wife, my children, my daughter, everybody's story," Matos Negron told the I-Team.

"Housing is a critical element in the quality of life for our Air Force families.  We look to our project owner partners to take care of issues so our Airmen and Guardians can focus on the mission.

A PIP contains action items, milestones, and schedules for the Michaels Organization to address the unsatisfactory performance of the management and maintenance operations at MacDill Air Force Base.  Overall, the PIP will be completed in phases to address the following areas: improving maintenance quality and oversight, operational consistency, and improving moisture mitigation.  

The Michaels Organization was placed on a PIP following multiple problems identified across their portfolio that raised life, health, and safety issues.  The issues compounded by the slow storm recovery effort from the 2024 hurricanes resulted in subpar housing operations at MacDill AFB.  The DAF determined a PIP was necessary to address all DAF concerns.   There is no set timeline for a PIP, which is dependent upon the Michaels Organization successfully addressing and completing all benchmarks and milestones.  

The DAF is providing oversight to ensure DAF standards are consistently met and implemented at MacDill AFB."

We take the concerns of our residents and the safety and well-being of our entire Harbor Bay community very seriously. We are constantly working to improve the level of service for our residents, including partnering closely with the U.S. Air Force and Base Command to strengthen how we communicate, maintain homes, and enhance the overall community.

We are investing significant time and resources into our homes, expanding our operating team with a focus on customer service and quality control, and have initiated new inspection and preventative maintenance protocols.

We are aware that some former residents are being advised by a law firm and are engaging in legal action. While we cannot comment on the specifics of litigation, we encourage residents to bring any maintenance concerns to our attention, whether online, by phone, or in person, so they can be addressed promptly through our efficient channels. Our priority has always been and continues to be the care of our residents, staff, and the community at large.