15 military families file lawsuit over housing conditions at Joint Base Lewis-McChord

OLYMPIA — Fifteen military families have filed a lawsuit against a private company that manages housing at Joint Base Lewis-McChord over living conditions they say caused property damage and health problems.

The 51 plaintiffs filed the lawsuit earlier this month in Pierce County Superior Court against Lewis McChord Communities LLC and its parent company, Lincoln Military Housing, The Olympian reported.

The lawsuit also names 50 John or Jane Doe defendants described as people, companies and employees who worked at the homes.

The lawsuit says the plaintiffs had water leaks leading to mold growth in their homes that thrived because of mismanagement and inadequate maintenance. The families included in the JBLM lawsuit lived on base between 2016 and 2020, court documents said.

The families said these issues caused blurred vision, fatigue, nasal congestion, body aches, headaches and coughing, among other symptoms.

Officials from Lincoln Military Housing said in a statement they are aware of the lawsuit and are “fully committed to ensuring our residents live in a safe and healthy environment every day.”

A spokesperson for JBLM said officials on the base will monitor the lawsuit closely.

In the last five years, almost a dozen lawsuits have been brought against Lincoln in local and federal courts across the country.

The families are asking for compensation in an amount to be proven at trial.

In 2020, Lincoln started a $70 million project to renovate more than 400 homes on JBLM. Lincoln began managing about 5,000 homes on JBLM in 2002.