Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has been staying in a military home normally used by the Coast Guard’s top officer without paying rent. The unusual arrangement has sparked criticism from Democrats and Coast Guard officials who say it wastes military resources and sets a troubling precedent.
Noem moved into Quarters 1 at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling in Washington after her home address was published online. The spacious waterfront residence is typically reserved for the Coast Guard commandant, the service’s highest-ranking officer. This marks the first time a DHS secretary has lived in government housing, according to former Obama administration DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson.
DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said Noem had been “so horribly doxxed and targeted that she is no longer able to safely live in her own apartment.” The move came after the Daily Mail published photos of the area around Noem’s residence in Washington’s Navy Yard neighborhood in April. McLaughlin said Noem has faced “vicious doxxing on the dark web and a surge in death threats, including from terrorist organizations, cartels, and criminal gangs that DHS targets.”
Coast Guard leadership displacement raises concerns
The housing situation became available after President Trump fired Coast Guard Commandant Linda Fagan in January on his second day in office. Fagan, the first woman to lead a branch of the U.S. military, was given just three hours to leave her home at the base. The Trump administration cited “leadership deficiencies” and “excessive focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion policies” as reasons for her removal.
Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem is living rent free in an Admiral's mansion on Bolling Air Force Base because she claims she isn't safe in her apartment. In other news 20 dogs, 12 horses and a goat have gone missing on Bolling Air Force Base. pic.twitter.com/ZwtS4nQVIT
— TheRealThelmaJohnson (@TheRealThelmaJ1) August 18, 2025
Acting Commandant Kevin Lunday now lives in a nearby home on the base while Noem occupies the main commandant residence. Retired Coast Guard Admiral Paul Zukunft told reporters that Quarters 1 has been used exclusively by the serving commandant since 2010. Current and former Coast Guard officials worry that Noem’s stay could displace other senior military officers in a situation with limited housing.
The arrangement stands out because other Cabinet officials have paid to use military housing in similar situations. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth recently requested $137,000 in taxpayer funding for repairs to military housing at Fort McNair, including nearly $50,000 for an “emergency” paint job. However, he will pay $4,655 per month in rent under a 2008 law requiring defense secretaries to pay 105% of the housing allowance rate for a four-star general.
Previous defense secretaries like Bob Gates and Jim Mattis also paid thousands of dollars in monthly rent when they lived in military homes. Noem continues to pay rent for her Navy Yard apartment while staying at the military base for free. She has not said how long she plans to stay in the Coast Guard commandant’s residence. The arrangement has also drawn attention to Noem’s controversial background, including her frequent use of Coast Guard aircraft for travel, for which she has reimbursed “tens of thousands of dollars” according to DHS.
