State Department: Standards for Overseas Housing Need Review
What GAO Found The Department of State last updated its standards for overseas housing space in 1991, according to State officials. Those standards may no longer align with State’s goal of providing Foreign Service personnel living abroad with housing comparable to the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. In the last 35 years, housing in the Washington, D.C., area has been increasing in cost and decreasing in square footage. In addition, State’s method for measuring overseas housing does not align with the domestic industry standards typically followed by housing appraisers in the U.S., which may prevent State from comparing its overseas housing to housing in the Washington D.C. area. Witho.
Reported by Maria LopezState Department: Standards for Overseas Housing Need Review.
The item is dated Mon, 10 Aug 2026 07:28:52 -0400.
TeamCog is carrying it as a audits report from GAO reports and testimonies RSS.
What GAO Found The Department of State last updated its standards for overseas housing space in 1991, according to State officials.
Those standards may no longer align with State’s goal of providing Foreign Service personnel living abroad with housing comparable to the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area.
In the last 35 years, housing in the Washington, D.C., area has been increasing in cost and decreasing in square footage.
In addition, State’s method for measuring overseas housing does not align with the domestic industry standards typically followed by housing appraisers in the U.S., which may prevent State from comparing its overseas housing to housing in the Washington D.C. area.
Witho…
Official Source
GAO reports and testimonies RSS. Accessed 2026-08-10T15:00:05.793Z.