Well, the government has taken the guess work out of the decision of on base vs. off base housing. On base housing is any housing built by the US government and located either on the main Yokosuka base, Ikego detachment, or Negishi detachment. Off base housing (also known as "in town") would be any Japanese housing located outside these three areas.
The new housing policy which went into effect this spring for all Navy bases overseas (not just Japan) states that all military personnel accompanied by dependents are required to live in base housing until housing is 90% full. The only way a family can live out in town is if a) there are no adequate quarters for the family in any housing area or b) housing is full or c) the family wants to foot the entire bill on their own. If you were hoping to live in town, well, it looks less likely than ever.
I'm positive this is a money saving move by the government. They spent trillions to build these on base family quarters and having them sit empty is a waste of money. Not only that but for every family who rejects adequate base quarters and moves off base the government spends thousands in allowances per family to help them pay for their rent and utility bills.
I can only speak for myself, but I would have been sad to have my choice taken away. I enjoy my quiet life away from the hustle and bustle of the bases. I do understand why it's being done, though.
For more information and clarification of the new housing policy, I STRONGLY encourage you to contact housing directly. Other than the information I posted here I have no further information to provide. There's also a good discussion of this topic on the Japan Bases forum (link to the right).
