Liberty Military Housing (Liberty), acknowledged for its quality homes and vibrant neighborhoods, today broke ground on 212 new homes within Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM). Located within JBLM North’s Meriwether Landing community, Liberty’s investment will help increase access to high-quality housing for military personnel and their families who are stationed in this area.
Liberty will begin construction this spring and plans to have the first homes move-in ready by early 2026. The new homes will be duplex style with four bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms, as well as two-car garages and fenced backyards with covered patios. The new neighborhood will also offer increased accessibility to the base’s schools, community centers, and other amenities through new connecting roadways within Meriwether. Liberty will also build two new parks in the neighborhood with playgrounds for families to enjoy recreation and nature.
In addition to the plans for new homes, Liberty continues to make significant renovations on the base’s existing homes. Over the last five years, Liberty has installed upgraded appliances, added new countertops and cabinetry, and converted carports into garages in more than 900 homes.
Funding for this project was made possible by the Military Housing Privatization Initiative (MHPI), which enables privatized military housing providers to make direct investments that upgrade and expand communities, benefiting the thousands of military members and their families by ensuring that they have access to quality housing within a vibrant community. The MHPI has allowed private companies like Liberty that specialize in development and property management to work with the Armed Services to obtain nearly $30 billion in private sector funding to address the backlog of essential renovations and replacement of military housing across the country. The funds were raised through privately placed bonds held by institutional lenders in the United States.
Philip Rizzo, CEO of Liberty Military Housing, stated: “Liberty’s purpose is to provide our nation’s military and their families with high-quality housing, appealing amenities, engaged communities, and expert staff. The investment that we are making here at JBLM allows us to better deliver on that purpose and illustrates our commitment to our mission of providing exemplary service to those who serve our country. I would like to thank the base leadership, Col Kent Park, Beth Wilson and their team, along with Army Installation Management Command’s Gen Omar Jones, the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army Installations Housing and Partnerships, David Dentino and, of course, Congresswomen Strickland’s office for their support and partnership.”
“It is our duty to make sure that our and their families are safe and securely housed while they are stationed in the South Sound,” said Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland (WA-10). “Building new homes for JBLM is long overdue, and I am committed to addressing our local housing crunch in Congress.”
“As JBLM continues to grow to meet operational demands, our infrastructure must keep pace,” stated Col. Kent Park, Joint Base Lewis-McChord Garrison Commander.” The construction of 212 new homes in the Merriweather neighborhood is a significant investment in our service members and their families. This project, made possible through our strong partnership with Liberty Military Housing, enhances our ability to provide high-quality, modern housing that fosters a supportive and resilient community. These new homes reinforce JBLM’s commitment to being a great place to live and serve.”
